LA MIRADA, CALIF. – BioLargo Inc. has entered into a series of agreements to commercialize a leading water disinfection system for food safety and agricultural uses called the Isan system, which was first introduced in Australia, in the United States. Eventually, applications will include red meat and poultry, Dennis Calvert, BioLargo president, told MEATPOULTRY.com.

“We plan to optimize for these applications over time,” he added. “Most of our work has been in fruits and vegis, post-harvest wash. Trials are planned for poultry and meats.”

The Isan system is a patented automated water disinfection system that utilizes iodine and substantially reduces the incidence of fungal growth, spoilage organisms and pathogens in water and on food, according to the company. Capable of treating high volumes of water flow, the Isan system is a combination of electrodes for measuring iodine levels in the target water stream, a control unit which automatically controls the dosage levels, iodine canisters to deliver the iodine, and resin canisters to collect by-products after disinfection has been completed.

A broad spectrum disinfectant with no known acquired resistance capabilities, iodine is used extensively in the hospital and animal-health markets due to its high level of efficacy combined with its low reactivity to human, plant and animal cells. The Isan system is registered with the A.P.V.M.A. (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority) and F.S.A.N.Z. (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) in Australia and New Zealand, where it has approximately 150 customer installations currently operating, primarily for use in horticulture, post-harvest sanitation of fruits and vegetables, dairy use, and poultry drinking water.

"The Isan system is one of the most important advances in food and plant safety in the past 20 years," said Dr. Joseph Montecalvo of California State Polytechnic University, who is a noted expert in organic post-harvest handling and processing and related international standards, H.A.C.C.P. and E.P.A.-F.D.A.-U.S.D.A. regulatory compliance, and food plant sanitation.

Under the series of agreements, BioLargo secured the exclusive rights to commercialize the Isan system for all fields of use, in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. BioLargo will continue to market the technology on a non-exclusive basis globally. BioLargo sublicensed the rights in the U.S. in certain fields of use to Isan U.S.A. Inc. Details of the agreements are set forth in the Form 8-K filed by BioLargo with the SEC on March 31.

BioLargo's business strategy is to harness and deliver Nature's Best Solution -- free-iodine -- in a safe, efficient, environmentally sensitive and cost-effective manner. BioLargo's proprietary technology works by combining micro-nutrient salts with liquid from any source to deliver free-iodine on demand, in controlled dosages, in order to balance efficacy of performance with concerns about toxicity.

BioLargo's technology has potential commercial applications within global industries, including but not limited to agriculture, animal health, consumer products, food processing and water.