Micro Identification Technologies, Inc. (MIT) announced that it received the first production MIT 1000 System from OSI Optoelectronics (OSIO), a subsidiary of OSI Systems on December 24, 2010 and stated that initial test results are superb. MIT contracted with OSIO in 2010 to manufacture MIT's Rapid Microbial Identification System, the MIT 1000. OSIO has manufacturing facilities in California, Malaysia and India.
"All of OSIO's world class facilities are ISO 9001:2000 certified, FDA registered and GMP compliant making them a perfect company to fabricate MIT's Systems for its food safety applications and its planned pharmaceutical and clinical diagnostic applications," stated John Ricardi, MIT's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Ricardi further added that, "While initially the Systems will be constructed in OSIO's Hawthorne-California facility, as volume increases, fabrication will move to one of their lower labor cost facilities in either Malaysia or India and thus provide the capability for MIT to maintain or improve future profit margins and price competiveness." Mr. Ricardi continued, "OSIO fabricates the photodiode detectors that are used in the MIT 1000 and plans to supply other components. In addition, their experience with MIT's System and targeted markets enables them to both accelerate and help us to ensure that our current and future product designs meet the stringent requirements of those industries -- capabilities that will insure deliveries of Systems early in 2011."
The MIT 1000 Rapid Microbial Identification System can identify bacteria in less than five minutes after culturing at a cost of less than 10 cents per test and is a certified AOAC Research Institute (RI) test method for Listeria, one of three bacteria (the others are Salmonella and E.coli) that are responsible for most of the worldwide food contamination events. The Company is in the process of preparing the MIT 1000 to become AOAC RI certified later this year for the presence of all "three" bacteria with a single mouse click.