Food Safety Laboratory

Ultimately, the goal of food testing is to ensure a safe food supply. Doing so requires testing at multiple stages of food collection, preparation, packaging and storage. 

These services build upon our environmental testing experience by investigating and examining microbiological factors that can affect food quality, longevity, and safety of raw materials, prepared ingredients, and finished products. Environmental monitoring samples are part of the scientific analysis of a safety environment in which the food product or ingredient is being grown, harvested, handled, processed, or prepared and its potential to affect its quality, level of contaminates, freshness, and other key factors at all stages.

For example, safety tests may evaluate how likely a food environment is to cause unwanted bacteria – chiefly pathogens that could cause illnesses – or spoilage in the form of yeast, mold, and lactic acids.

Beyond microbial contaminants, NAL also has extensive experience of trace metal contamination and inorganic nutrient analysis for food ingredients and finished products.