Ondine Biomedical reports photodisinfection is highly effective against key food-borne pathogens

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ondine Biomedical (OBI:LON), a Canadian life sciences company, reported that photodisinfection being developed for food processing demonstrated high efficacy against key food-borne pathogens. Results of the proof-of-concept study, presented on 12 April, 2023,¹ confirmed 4-5 log (up to 99.999%) elimination of pathogens commonly found on hard surfaces in meat processing facilities, as well as those directly located on fresh-cut chicken, beef, and pork meat - paving the way for Canadian leadership in food safety innovations. On the basis of these findings, Ondine intends to apply for additional non-dilutive funding to continue the development of food-safe photodisinfection technology.

Bacterial contamination in the meat industry significantly impacts consumers, workers, animals, community well-being, and industry profitability. Consuming meat contaminated with harmful bacteria can cause illness and death, with over 400,000 people globally dying each year from eating contaminated food.²

Conducted in collaboration with Chinook Contract Research, the Ondine Biomedical program identified four food-safe photosensitizers – compounds which eliminate pathogens when exposed to a specific wavelength of light. The photosensitizers were screened against the bacterial organisms Salmonella enterica (Salmonella) and MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), grown and tested as biofilms. Biofilms are known to tolerate up to 1000 times higher concentrations of antibiotics and disinfectants than planktonic (free-floating) cells, which are typically used in food safety studies.³ Results showed that the photodisinfection process was able to achieve complete elimination of all Salmonella enterica biofilms (>99.999%), and a 99.999% (5-log) reduction of MRSA biofilms in several different food safety models.⁴

This research was funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriScience Program, a federal, provincial, territorial initiative.⁵ The AgriScience Program aims to accelerate the pace of innovation by providing funding and support for pre-commercial science activities and cutting-edge research that benefits consumers and the agriculture and agri-food sector.

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About Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Canadian headquartered company innovating in the field of photodisinfection therapies. Ondine has a pipeline of investigational products, based on its proprietary photodisinfection platform, in various stages of development. Products beyond nasal photodisinfection include therapies for a variety of medical indications such as chronic sinusitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns, and other indications.

¹ https://ondinebio.com/media/webinar-photodisinfection-for-food-safety/

² https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety

³ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1198743X14653647

⁴ >5 log10 CFU (colony forming units) reduction

⁵ https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/OBI/ondine-receives-funding-for-meat-photodisinfection/15743008