FAIRFIELD, NJ. — SGS North America, an inspection, verification, testing and certification company, announced Oct. 17 that it has expanded its food safety and quality assurance testing capacity for North American food, pet food and nutraceutical markets. The company moved into a larger, state-of-the-art facility in Fairfield to offer enhanced testing services.
According to SGS, manufacturing and testing products for human and animal consumption is a critical component of the North American economy, providing people and animals with access to a variety of safe products. And with food safety concerns rising amongst consumers, analytical services, like those offered by SGS, are a necessary part of food testing.
SGS has been providing various testing services to the food and nutraceutical markets for more than 35 years throughout the world, and more than 27 years in North America. The company currently has 99,6000 employees and operates more than 2,600 offices throughout the globe. The company’s existing network includes ISO/IEC 17025 accredited food laboratories in Carson, Calif., North Sioux City, SD, Oklahoma City, Harrisburg, Pa., and Burnaby, British Columbia.
With this recent capacity expansion, SGS will offer customers access to a full range of services throughout its extensive laboratory network.
“With New Jersey and neighboring states being one of the largest food manufacturing hubs in North America, we are very pleased with our current success and look forward to utilizing a larger facility to further serve current and future clients with their food testing needs,” said Jodi Gubin-Jurgens, head of food at SGS North America.
The testing capabilities include rapid and traditional food pathogen testing with DNA and protein-based detection, environmental monitoring in production including pathogen testing, and food hygiene and quality testing.
For pet food specifically, SGS’ testing services seek to help improve efficiency and reduce risk in the supply chain. The company provides an extensive range of solutions including:
- Analysis of ingredients and finished products with laboratories supporting nutritional requirements from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF)
- Inspection services for pet food manufacturers to help ensure adherence to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
- Audits and certifications for the Global Food Safety Initiative on feed mills, pet food production facilities and storage and distribution facilities, as well as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody certification
- Labeling services to reduce risk of product rejection for incorrect labeling.
“Food and wellness product testing is on the rise as a result of several factors including food safety regulations — such as the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) — along with an increased demand for safe and high-quality products,” Gubin-Jurgens said. “This additional testing capacity will further accommodate the increased quality assurance testing needs of our clients who depend on us for rapid turnaround times and results they can count on.”
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