Romer Labs

What Romer Labs does

Romer Labs is a global supplier of diagnostic solutions for food and feed safety, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Tulln, Austria. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of dsm-firmenich following the 2020 acquisition of ERBER Group, and maintains 12+ legal entities and field offices across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific, including six ISO 17025-accredited analytical services laboratories on three continents. Its core portfolio addresses four testing categories — mycotoxins, food allergens, GMOs, and microbial contaminants — and is built on multiple underlying diagnostic technologies: lateral flow devices (LFD) such as AgraStrip Pro WATEX with water-based extraction; ELISA-based kits (AgraQuant); polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods; chromatography and mass spectrometry workflows (HPLC, LC-MS/MS); and impedance flow cytometry via the CytoQuant instrument for real-time total viable counts. The portfolio also includes sample preparation consumables (SPE and immunoaffinity clean-up columns), certified reference materials including 13C-labeled internal standards, the Data Manager software platform, and the VITAL 4.0 allergen risk assessment framework.

Romer Labs serves enterprise customers in regulated food and feed industries — primary verticals include Milling & Grain, Animal Feed, and Food & Beverage, with secondary verticals in Dairy, Poultry, Swine, Aquaculture & Seafood, Pet Food, and Laboratory/Research. The company sells diagnostic test kits and consumables through a B2B webshop requiring business credential registration, and through a technical field sales and support organization. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of test kits and consumables, recurring subscription-based proficiency testing (Check Sample Survey), and professional analytical services delivered via the six accredited labs.

Romer Labs has pursued growth through a combination of organic product innovation and bolt-on acquisitions — most recently acquiring Thai distributor CPAK INTER CO. in 2023 and historically adding microbiology capability via TRANSIA (2015) and SDIX Food Safety (2012) — alongside geographic expansion into Brazil (2007), China (2009), the UK (2010), Malaysia (2010), Ukraine (2015), and Mexico (2018). Regulatory validation underpins the commercial model, with ISO 9001, ISO 17025, ISO 17034, GMP+ B11, UKAS, USDA-FGIS, and CMA certifications supporting compliance-driven product adoption across multiple jurisdictions.

Name

Romer Labs

Legal name

Romer Labs Division Holding GmbH

Website

https://romerlabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Romer Labs is a global supplier of diagnostic solutions for food and feed safety, providing test kits, analytical instruments, reference materials, and laboratory services for mycotoxin, allergen, GMO, and microbial testing. It serves enterprise customers in milling, animal feed, and food and beverage industries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific as a subsidiary of dsm-firmenich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Diagnostics

NAICS

In-Vitro Diagnostic Substance Manufacturing (325413), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Medical Laboratories (621511), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Proficiency Testing, Method Validation & Reference Materials (Food Labs) (AFALAAAK), Mycotoxin Testing (Aflatoxins, Ochratoxin, DON, ZEN, Fumonisins) (AFALAFAC)

Keywords

• Food safety diagnostics
• Mycotoxin testing
• Food allergen testing
• GMO detection kits
• Microbiology testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Getzersdorf

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Diagnostic Test Kits: Sale of rapid test kits including lateral flow devices (LFD), ELISA kits, and PCR-based tests for mycotoxins, food allergens, GMOs, and microbiology applications. Products include AgraStrip Pro, AgraQuant, and specialized testing strips.
2. Analytical Services: Laboratory testing services provided through six ISO 17025-accredited analytical services labs across three continents. Services include mycotoxin analysis, allergen testing, GMO detection, and microbiological testing using HPLC, LC-MS/MS, and other reference methods.
3. Reference Materials and Consumables: Sale of certified reference materials, internal standards (including 13C labeled standards), clean-up columns (SPE and immunoaffinity), and other laboratory consumables for food safety testing.
4. Check Sample Survey: Proficiency testing programs that allow laboratories to verify their testing accuracy by analyzing blind samples and comparing results with other participants.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Romer Labs manufactures and sells diagnostic test kits, lateral flow devices, ELISA kits, and analytical instruments for detecting mycotoxins, food allergens, GMOs, and microbial contaminants in food and feed samples. The company also operates six ISO 17025-accredited analytical services laboratories across three continents providing contract testing, plus certified reference materials, sample preparation consumables, and proficiency testing programs for the food and feed industries.

Product overview

Romer Labs is a global leader in diagnostic solutions for food and feed safety, offering an integrated portfolio of rapid test kits (AgraStrip Pro WATEX lateral flow devices and AgraQuant ELISA kits), analytical instruments (CytoQuant impedance flow cytometer), sample preparation products (clean-up columns), certified reference materials, data management software (Data Manager), and contract laboratory services. The portfolio spans four core testing areas: mycotoxins, food allergens, GMOs, and microbiology/microbial contaminants. The company provides both on-site rapid screening solutions and reference laboratory testing through six ISO 17025-accredited labs. Romer Labs also offers the VITAL 4.0 allergen risk assessment framework for precautionary labeling decisions. Test kits are complemented by proficiency testing programs (Check Sample Survey) and extensive technical support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AgraStrip Pro WATEX Rapid lateral flow device (LFD) test kits for mycotoxin screening at grain intake and during processing. Uses water-based extraction technology for simplified workflow. Includes kits for Total Aflatoxin, Deoxynivalenol (DON), and other mycotoxin analytes.
• AgraQuant ELISA-based quantitative test kits for detecting and quantifying mycotoxins, food allergens, GMOs, and other analytes in food and feed samples.
• AgraStrip Rapid lateral flow strip tests for on-site screening of allergens and other analytes, providing qualitative presence/absence results in minutes.
• CytoQuant

Quantifiable outcome

• AgraStrip Pro WATEX and AgraQuant test kits are compliant with new EU Regulation 2023/2782 mycotoxin testing requirements
• +2 more outcomes

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Campden BRIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampden BRI conducted a proof-of-principle study evaluating CytoQuant impedance flow cytometry for real-time total viable count measurement. The study compared CytoQuant to conventional TVC methods, enhanced culture, fluorescent live/dead microscopy, and ATP swabs across various food matrices. Results showed strong positive correlation with TVC and enhanced culture counts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Neogen Corporation: Neogen is the closest direct competitor in food safety diagnostics, offering test kits for mycotoxins, food allergens, pathogens, and GMOs across grain, feed, and food processing — overlapping Romer Labs' core four pillars. The 2022 merger with 3M's food safety business further consolidated competition.
• R-Biopharm AG: R-Biopharm is a German specialist in food and feed diagnostic test kits, with deep overlap with Romer Labs in mycotoxin, allergen, and GMO detection (ELISA, lateral flow), targeting the same European grain and dairy testing customers.
• Charm Sciences: Charm Sciences manufactures rapid test kits and instrumentation for mycotoxins, antibiotics, and sanitation verification in food, feed, and dairy — directly comparable in workflow and customer base to Romer Labs' AgraStrip and AgraQuant product lines.
• EnviroLogix: EnviroLogix specializes in mycotoxin and GMO lateral flow test kits for grain and food testing, directly overlapping Romer Labs' AgraStrip Pro and AgraQuant GMO product families.

Broad incumbents

• bioMérieux SA: bioMérieux is a global leader in industrial microbiology diagnostics for food and beverage producers, with GENE-UP, TEMPO, and other platforms that overlap Romer Labs' CytoQuant and ELISA microbiology offerings as part of a much broader diagnostics portfolio.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins operates the world's largest food testing laboratory network, directly comparable to Romer Labs' six analytical services labs; while broader in scope, it competes for the same contract mycotoxin, allergen, and GMO testing work.
• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: SGS is a global testing, inspection, and certification company with extensive food and agricultural testing services, directly comparable to Romer Labs' contract analytical services and proficiency testing offerings at a much larger scale.
• 3M Food Safety: 3M Food Safety offered a broad food testing product portfolio (now merged into Neogen) including pathogen detection and sanitation products, overlapping with Romer Labs' microbiology and rapid test kit offerings as part of a much larger diversified industrial company.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher supplies LC-MS/MS instruments, reference materials, and immunoassay kits used in mycotoxin and food contaminant testing — overlapping Romer Labs' analytical lab services and reference materials businesses as part of a global scientific instruments portfolio.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Mérieux NutriSciences (the food testing arm of Institut Mérieux) operates a global network of food testing laboratories and provides analytical services for mycotoxins, allergens, and microbiological contaminants, directly comparable to Romer Labs' contract lab services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RomerLabs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/romer-labs
• Xx.com/RomerLabs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Romer Labs