Merck Lab Earns ISO Accreditation for Quality Control of Culture Media

• Ensures culture media meet international standards for laboratory quality systems
• Provides benchmark for compliance and accuracy in microbial testing of food and water samples

Darmstadt, Germany, September 13, 2016 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that its microbiology quality control laboratory in Eppelheim, Germany is now accredited for the quality control of the ReadyPlate™ and ReadyTube™ culture media tested there.

The ISO/IEC-17025:2005 accreditation, issued by Germany’s national accreditation body, is the international standard in testing and calibration for laboratory quality systems, and ensures full compliance of the lab’s ReadyPlate™ and ReadyTube™ culture media with the new mandatory standard ISO 11133:2014 concerning the preparation, production, storage and performance testing of culture media.

The accreditation reflects Merck’s commitment to ensure that the company’s facilities and products meet the latest and the most stringent international standards for laboratory quality systems. The accreditation also provides a benchmark for lab competence for specific types of testing, measurement and calibration, informing global customers that test data supplied by the lab are accurate and reliable.

Earlier this year, the company’s microbiology quality control laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany, received the same accreditation.

About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of € 12.85 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.