Liverpool’s totally fab Food Test Lab
Liverpool is a city that’s world famous for many things. Its music for a start (it’s the birthplace of The Beatles, of course, and many other great bands and artists), as well as its world-class football team, Liverpool FC.
But travel a few miles north of the city to Aintree, not far from the home of the Grand National, which attracts more attention globally than any other horse race, and you’ll find Food Test Lab, a truly world-class Liverpool business. “Food Test Lab is an independent, UKAS accredited microbiological testing and chemical analysis laboratory,” explains Laboratory Manager, Cameron Finlay. “Working for a wide range of customers, we provide ISO 17025-accredited microbiological, chemistry and nutritional testing and food analysis of a diverse list of foodstuffs and feeds.”
World-class laboratory Food Test Lab’s accredited food testing and food analysis services enable its customers to meet safety regulations, achieve best practice and satisfy consumer needs. Microbiological Manager Jennifer Smith says: “Our highly qualified and experienced team of microbiologists uses the latest technologies and methods to provide accredited microbiological testing of foods, beverages, animal feeds and environmental samples.”
Food Test Lab’s purpose-built testing laboratory in Aintree, which opened in 2016, was designed to process a large volume of microbiological samples every day and results are delivered on time according to customer needs, no matter how demanding. “We’ll always try to tailor our services to meet specific customer needs” Cameron smiles.
Chemical and nutritional analysis “In addition to UKAS-accredited microbiological analysis, our food testing laboratories can provide detailed chemical analysis and nutritional analysis for food labelling,” Cameron adds. “Our nutritional analysis and chemical analysis services include moisture, fats and oils, proteins, sugars, sodium, fibre, ash, salt, carbohydrates, fatty acid profile, dietary fibre, energy value and Group I and II nutritional analysis.”
Cameron and his colleagues can provide fast turnaround times for groceries, cooked and raw meats, dairy products, processed foods and exports such as meat, fish, honey, milk, coffee, cocoa and beverages. “Our other food lab testing services include heavy metals – mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic – as well as hydroxyproline, peroxide value, pH, Omega 3, 6, 9, trans fatty acids.”
International customer base Food Test Lab is the trading name of the UKAS-accredited company Huson and Hardwick, which became part of the Alex Stewart Agriculture Group in 2004. Huson and Hardwick has an enviable reputation as a leading provider of ultra-reliable GAFTA and FOSFA-certified laboratory analysis. Almost 180 years since its formation in Liverpool, Huson and Hardwick continues to innovate and provide exceptional analytical and certification services via Food Test Lab.
Expert pet food testing services Food Test lab also offers fully accredited test services to makers of pet food. As Jennifer explains: “Makers of dog and cat food are under pressure to ensure increasingly higher quality, so that they meet stringent safety and pet-owner requirements. We’re fully equipped to analyse a wide range of manufactured pet foods and our great technical expertise enables us to choose the right sample preparation method to ensure reliable results.”
For further information telephone Cameron Finlay or Jennifer Smith
on +44 (0)151 525 1488 or email laboratory@alexstewartagriculture.com
www.foodtestlab.co.uk
