Thanks to its innovative products, Merck has established itself in the food microbiology segment. No other competitor offers such a variety of rapid tests in this user-friendly test format. These compact yet high-performance test plates are able to quickly and reliably detect whether foods contain harmful bacteria or their waste products. Under the brand names Singlepath® and Duopath®, Merck sells a range of microbiological test kits that considerably facilitate quality assurance and quality control for customers – mainly food manufacturers, but also clinical laboratories. This series of practice-relevant products started with tests for E. coli bacteria, verotoxins, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria. In 2007, three new tests were added, such as the one for Legionella - the cause of Legionnaire’s disease, a life-threatening condition that has recently been making headlines again.

For laboratory personnel, using the tests could not be easier. This leads to significant time savings: With the Merck Salmonella test, for instance, the results are already available after 48 hours, as opposed to five to seven days with the standard methods.