Spectacular Labs to Showcase New Pathogen Testing Platform at IAFP

RICHMOND, Calif. — Spectacular Labs Inc., a creator of next-generation rapid pathogen testing, announced that it will showcase its technology for the first time at the upcoming International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) 2023 Annual Meeting July 16-19 in Toronto. Attendees can learn more about the company’s development plans for a new, fully automated platform from enrichment to reporting that requires one minute of operator hands-on time, the company reports.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million people get sick each year from a foodborne illness. Spectacular Labs was founded in 2020 by scientists out of the University of California, Berkeley, to create an innovative pathogen detection platform that reduces inefficiencies and modernizes current testing workflows.

Early-stage investors include Astanor Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Morado Ventures and Xplorer Capital.

Spectacular Labs reports that it is the first company to fully automate the foodborne pathogen testing workflow from enrichment to reporting. With a full commercial launch expected in early 2024, the platform will be used to detect pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli and Campylobacter.

"Spectacular Labs is poised to modernize the traditional food safety testing process with a complete pathogen detection platform that accelerates turnaround times, automates workflows and eliminates costly supply chain bottlenecks,” said George Powlick, partner at Astanor Ventures. “We are thrilled to partner with Spectacular Labs’ talented team of entrepreneurs to help expand early access collaborations and prepare for a full commercial launch early next year.”

Michael Fang, CEO and co-founder of Spectacular Labs, said, “We are looking forward to unveiling our pathogen detection technology and sharing our vision for the future of food safety testing for the first time at the IAFP 2023 Annual Meeting. We have developed a truly disruptive approach that sets a new standard in accuracy, speed and affordability for farmers, producers, manufacturers, buyers and testing labs. Together, we will be able to alleviate critical supply chain bottlenecks, prevent potential outbreaks and shorten time to market.”

IAFP 2023 attendees interested in more information on Spectacular Labs’ pathogen testing technology can visit booth #150. The company will provide demonstrations and is open to discussing potential early-access collaborations throughout the conference. Email contact@spectacularlabs.com if you are interested in a private briefing.