Fresh fruits and vegetables are staples in healthy diets, providing nutrients and energy that people need to live an active life. They’re a vital part of our existence, and yet, they are often the culprits in foodborne illness. This is why ensuring produce safety is so critical.
It’s safe to say that Americans consider pets to be a pretty big deal. We love our furry friends, and their safety and wellbeing is a top priority. About 85 million families (approximately 67 percent of U.S. households) own a pet, according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA). Those households spent about $36.9 billion on pet food and treats in 2019.
As the seasons shift toward warm weather, people begin having more outdoor picnics and gatherings and start eating more fresh produce and dairy products like ice cream.
Dangerous toxins can be found in food crops at any stage in the supply chain, which is why a regular schedule of food safety testing is vital to the health of the public. One such class of toxins, Mycotoxins, are naturally occurring compounds produced by certain types of molds that can appear on many kinds of agricultural products.
[Updated 3/23/2020] More than 100 years ago, Barrow-Agee Laboratories was founded on a strong set of core values — the first and foremost being safety. Every year since then, we have followed and operated on those values. In light of that commitment, we wanted to take this opportunity to share what we’re doing for our employees and our customers to ensure everyone remains safe and healthy as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop.
One of the most important things to consider in order to get accurate test results in food safety testing is your sampling process. Many companies still rely on manually sampling animal feed, byproduct, or animals themselves rather than automated sampling. But this encourages a number of problems that may not allow for the most effective quality testing. Read more
Delivering the highest quality product is at the top of nearly every company’s priority list, but for those in the poultry industry, it can be a matter of public safety. And “good enough” just won’t cut it when you’re responsible for keeping consumers from being exposed to dangerous pathogens and bacteria. That’s why poultry testing is so important. Read more
About six months ago, we announced that Barrow-Agee had invested in upgrading our LIMS to the WinLIMS system, which would allow us to better serve our customers and improve the delivery of results on-time, every time. I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude for your patience during this LIMS update project. It was a significant upgrade to our lab’s technology and has been quite an undertaking.
Every year, the food processing and distribution industries grow. This is naturally tied to the ever-increasing population of the world and its expanding food production and distribution needs. While each country has its own respective food distribution challenges, the United States sees an annual population growth percentage of between 0.7% and 0.9% — anywhere from two to three million people. As you’ll learn, this underscores the importance of working with a full service laboratory. Read more
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of creating an established testing program in conjunction with accredited laboratories in an effort to review the safety of food and animal feeds in unique circumstances. Read more