Basel, Switzerland, June 7, 2004

New Test for Listeria Genus Set Pace in Sanitation and Food Safety
Faster identification of Listeria with PCR-based test from Roche Diagnostics

Listeriosis in humans is the second major food-borne disease worldwide. The genus Listeria (which includes six different species) is ubiquitous and associated with a large variety of environmental and food materials. Therefore, the screening for the genus Listeria is largely regarded as an indicator of sanitation and as an early warning of potential presence of pathogenic species. Traditional, microbiological testing methods often are very time-consuming (up to 4 days) and some are neither sensitive nor specific enough.

The new LightCycler foodproof Listeria Genus Detection Kit from Roche Applied Science detects rapidly Listeria DNA that is isolated from enrichment cultures inoculated with food sample material. The presence of the pathogenic species Listeria monocytogenes in positive samples might be further confirmed by using the LightCycler Listeria monocytogenes Detection Kit. Beyond supplying a rapid result, the LightCycler System provides highly sensitive and specific detection for the food industry. The LightCycler foodproof Listeria Genus Detection Kit also minimizes the risk of sample contamination and false-positive as well as false-negative results. The test is another step to complete Roche Applied Science´s product portfolio in the field of food safety.

"The LightCycler foodproof Listeria Genus Detection Kit extends the molecular food safety testing portfolio of the LightCycler System," states Volker Pfahlert, Head of Roche Applied Science. "Our test kits today enable its user to identify Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, beer-spoiling microorganisms, and genetic modified food ingredients."

The bacteria Listeria is typically transmitted to humans through the ingestion of contaminated food such as raw milk, dairy products, meat, and raw vegetables. Most of these foods have relatively short shelf lives and food industries need to fasten in-process control to prevent in house contaminations. Therefore, the need for a rapid, accurate, and sensitive method like the LightCycler foodproof Listeria Genus Detection Kit is a major food safety issue.

About Roche and Roche Diagnostics
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading innovation-driven healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals for cancer and a leader in virology and transplantation. As a supplier of products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries. The Group has alliances and research and development agreements with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics with a uniquely broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide. For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.com and www.roche-diagnostics.com.

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LightCycler and foodproof are trademarks of a member of the Roche-Group.