GeneScan USA, Inc. (GSUS) and Illinois Crop Improvement Association, Inc. (ICIA) have announced their partnership in a strategic alliance to provide a broad range of technical expertise, consulting service and audit capacity to the agrofood industry. Companies up and down the food chain, interested in upgrading or developing programs related to vendor certification, Identity Preservation and traceability will benefit from our joint program offerings. The alliance will offer a full range of field and laboratory services.

Around the world, the movement towards the implementation of process control programs, e.g., farm-to-fork traceability programs, HACCP and GMP programs, is being driven by regulatory changes as well as pressure on extended supply chains that are often global in scope. This has created a need for reliable and experienced support services to assist agro-food companies in developing, implementing and monitoring the processes that control the safety and quality of their supply chains.

This alliance between GeneScan and ICIA brings together two companies whose skills and expertise complement one another and offers the agro-food industry access to professionals recognized in their respective fields who also have “realworld” experience. Our combined skills and credentials include (but are not limited to): molecular biology, plant genetics, process engineering, seed science, agronomy, auditing and expertise in logistics of bulk commodities.

GeneScan and ICIA each have extensive independent experience in helping clients develop, implement and evaluate these types of programs. Both also have experience in performing program audits. The alliance will allow the individual strengths and experiences of ICIA and GeneScan to be jointly focused to effectively address the needs of our diverse client base.

GeneScan and ICIA will offer a combined portfolio of products and services including: GS-VIP programs; GS-IP programs; PCR and ELISA testing; Non-GMO programs; AOSCA IP Programs; and auditing and consulting. ICIA and GeneScan have cooperated in the development of a comprehensive seed/grain stewardship program – Producer Audited Supply System (PASS). The PASS program is being utilized in 2005 by a major seed company to assure the channeling of grain produced from a particular variety of seed into designated market channels.

BACKGROUND

Illinois Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) is located in Champaign, IL. While the roots of ICIA are firmly planted in Illinois soil, their branches have extended around the globe. Though ICIA continues to administer both domestic (USDA) and international (OECD) seed certification programs in the agency’s original role, ICIA’s capabilities and services have shifted over the years as the face of agriculture has changed. ICIA today serves the global, consumer-driven food and agricultural sector from seed development to grain production to marketing and grain handlers to processors and food manufacturers. The company has provided laboratory or consulting services to organizations from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

ICIA today is composed of four primary technical departments with a common support unit providing administrative, accounting and documentation services. The technical departments are the Identity Preserved Grain Laboratory, Field Services, Seed Laboratory and the Puerto Rico Winter Farm. Key services include general third-party consulting and technical support.

The company provides chemical and physical analysis of grain, processed products and seed for merchandisers, processors and plant breeders. They also develop and implement IP systems and process and product certification programs. ICIA is well noted for its ability to provide multistate field inspection and auditing services. In addition, the company provides vigor testing and varietal purity analysis services for seed and a full range of winter farm agronomic services to support plant breeders, researchers and industry consultants.

The Illinois operations are working toward registration under ISO 9000, evidence of the commitment to providing quality service and continual improvement of our business. ICIA is well positioned to garner nationwide collaboration in conducting projects and programs across the U.S. through its AOSCA affiliation.

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) was established in 1919 as the International Crop Improvement Association. AOSCA currently has members in North, Central and South America, South East Asia and Africa. Forty four agencies are located in the U.S.

All U.S. agencies are actively involved and experienced in performing third-party field inspections in the administration of seed certification programs for world markets. Many offer a wider variety of field-based inspection services. AOSCA agencies operate under a governance program that allows for seamless inter-agency collaboration.

GeneScan USA, located in Metairie, LA. is a subsidiary of GeneScan Europe AG, a member of the Eurofins Group. GeneScan operates in the area of quality and identity control of food and animal feed. The focus of these activities is the detection of allergens and detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in seeds, agricultural commodities, semi-finished and finished products.

The company meets its customers’ global requirements by operating its own analysis laboratories in Europe, North and South America and by establishing networks of strategic partners and licensees.

In addition to carrying out service analyses GeneScan also offers the corresponding diagnostics kits to third party laboratories. The Group’s portfolio also includes design, implementation and certification of customized control programs and identity preservation systems along the entire production chain.

Eurofins Scientific is a life sciences company operating internationally to provide a comprehensive range of analytical support services drawing on the latest developments in biotechnology. The Group specializes in delivering analytical testing services to clients from a wide range of industries including the pharmaceutical, food and environmental sectors. The Eurofins Group aims to become a world market leader in this field of applied life sciences and is pursuing a dynamic expansion strategy to improve both its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D, in-licensing and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field to offer its clients unparalleled analytical solutions.

With over 2,000 staff in more than 40 laboratories across 15 countries and a portfolio of over 10,000 analytical methods for proving the authenticity, origin, safety, identity, and purity of biological substances, Eurofins Scientific is already a leading global provider of bioanalytical services. The Group is committed to supporting its clients’ objectives of ensuring that their products reach the best possible quality and safety levels in all markets in which they operate. Eurofins Scientific intends to continue to develop, acquire or license the most comprehensive range of state-of-the-art analytical technologies in order to support its clients’ increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the demands of regulatory authorities around the world.

The shares of Eurofins Scientific are listed on Euronext in Paris (ISIN FR0000038259) and on the Frankfurt (WKN 910251) Stock Exchange (Reuters EUFI.LN, Bloomberg ERSC FP, ESF, EUFI.DE).