Berlinger Special AG: uniform security standard for doping control kits

Ganterschwil, 2 February 2018: The BEREG-KITs preferred by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) can be used throughout the coming 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang. Their manufacturer Berlinger Special AG is also adding further security features to the product to enable any counterfeit kits to be clearly identified as such. Berlinger Special AG will moreover be supplying only this new "Olympic" version of the BEREG-KIT with its additional anti-counterfeit features to other doping control organizations and sports federations from now on. So provided these kits are employed consistently for such purposes, a new uniform product can now be used for all doping controls.

The IOC has decided to use not the "BEREG-KIT Geneva" but its predecessor, the "BEREG-KIT", which was supplied up until mid-September 2017, for the doping control activities at the coming 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. This is because both the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) see a risk in the handling procedure to close the BEREG-KIT Geneva container.

Berlinger Special AG has taken full account of the IOC's decision and the associated WADA recommendations, and is now focusing fully on producing this predecessor BEREG-KIT. The company will be able to provide all the BEREG-KITs required to meet the Olympic Winter Games' needs, and is in close contact with the event's organizers. Berlinger Special AG will also be putting all its production capacities into meeting the demand for these BEREG-KITs from other federations, organizations and customers.

Counterfeits always detectable

On WADA's recommendation, in resuming its production of the BEREG-KIT, Berlinger Special AG will also take the opportunity to introduce additional security features that will enable any counterfeit kits to be clearly identified as such. These security features, which take the form of complex identification elements, will provide additional protection for doping samples while not affecting either the nature of the BEREG-KIT containers or their closure technology. The type of kit desired by the IOC for the Games doping controls will thus incorporate a further set of security features.

A uniform solution for all sport

To avoid any market confusion and to focus all its resources on the production required, Berlinger Special AG has decided to only produce and supply this predecessor BEREG-KIT at the present time. This means that any Berlinger Special AG customers who currently have orders outstanding for the BEREG-KIT Geneva will now be supplied with the predecessor BEREG-KIT instead. Berlinger Special AG will also readily replace any customers' existing stocks of the BEREG-KIT Geneva with the predecessor BEREG-KIT. This will enable all doping controls to be conducted and all the resulting samples stored with a uniform technological solution.

Further information:

Berlinger Special AG
Media Relations
c/o. KMES Partner I KLAUS
Hans Klaus
Basteiplatz 7
CH-8001 Zurich
Phone: +41 43 544 1744
Email: office@kmespartner.com