History

Our History

While working in the microbiology department for various companies such as Armour and Hershey, Dr. Lawrence Restaino quickly realized that traditional methods for isolating food pathogens were ineffective, time-consuming and cumbersome. Something had to be done.

Since 1986, Dr. Restaino has developed a more effective method in the isolation & identification of food and waterborne pathogens using chromogenic substrates. In 1988, Dr. Restaino and Dr. Elon Frampton published the use of a chromogenic substrate (5-Bromo-4-Chloro-3-Indoxyl-β-D Glucuronide) for isolating generic Escherichia coli.

By early 1990's, Dr. Restaino began to validate newly developed chromogenic plating media by comparing them to traditional agars. The chromogenic plating media provided a more efficacous approach to detect/enumerate pathogenic bacteria, as well as, reduced testing time and allowed for a more efficient and productive laboratory.

In 2004, Dr. Restaino, a leader in chromogenic plating media, started R & F Products to begin selling and marketing the chromogenic agars and enrichment broths for isolating an aray of foodborne, environmental and waterborne pathogens.

Over the years R & F Products has developed chromogenic plating media for most of the pertinent foodborne pathogens. The plating media sold by R & F Products either incorporates unique chromogenic substrates, carbohydrates, and pH systems to accurately and specifically differentiate target pathogens from background microbiota. Coupled with a highly effective selective system, these agars become a powerful tool for isolating pathogens in any food and/or clinical microbiological laboratory.

In 2018, R & F Products hired Dr. Paul Nguyen as Vice President to bolster product development. Through Dr. Nguyen's initial research, the first chromogenic medium was developed for the isolation/identification of emerging pathogenic Arcobacter species. More chromogenic agars will follow in the near future keeping current industrial and governmental needs.