SwissDeCode

SwissDeCode is a food safety and authenticity technology company based in Renens, Switzerland, that develops on-site DNA testing tools for the agri-food supply chain. It targets food fraud and contamination risks such as species substitution, milk adulteration and unauthorized ingredients that conventional laboratory testing detects too slowly.

Its flagship product, DNAFoil, is a self-contained kit that lyses, amplifies and reads DNA from a food sample using isothermal amplification and lateral-flow detection, without centrifuges, cold-chain reagents or lab skills. A test returns a result in about 30 minutes with roughly 6 minutes of hands-on work, and kits are manufactured at about 3,000 units per week for dairy processors, meat processors, animal feed and pet food makers, and certification bodies.

1. On-site DNA testing: Detects species, plant and pathogen DNA directly at farms, factories or ports without a laboratory.

2. Rapid turnaround: Delivers results in about 30 minutes, with only 6 minutes of hands-on sample handling.

3. No cold chain required: Reagents stay stable for 12 months at 10-25C, unlike conventional PCR kits.

4. Broad matrix validation: Works across dairy, fatty, salty, dried and jelly food samples, raw or cooked.

5. Custom assay development: Builds tailored DNA tests for specific customer needs in about 40 working days.

6. High sensitivity: Detects adulterants down to 0.01% weight-for-weight, or as few as 1-10 CFU.