Food testing laboratories play a large role in our society. Companies use them for everything from quality control to ensuring that their products do not have threatening levels of bacteria. Also, the government runs their owns tests on food products to make sure companies are in compliance with the food we consume here in America.

Building a career in food testing services requires more education and training than one might think. It's not as simple as running a taste test on your favorite ice cream. A comprehensive background in science is required. Here are some tips on how you can have a career in food testing laboratories.

1. Understand what qualifications you need for a career working at food testing services.

2. Obtain a food science degree so that you can work in many aspects of food testing laboratories.

3. Get an additional accredited certification that prepares you to work for food testing companies.

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Learn about food testing laboratories education and training

Determine what qualifications you're going to need for a career working with food testing companies. Understand the various functions of a food lab and how to test for everything from nutritional value, to food safety, to quality control.

I recommend: Check out the website Education for Adults.com for a comprehensive look at what a career in the food testing field will entail. Edinformatics also offers a quality glance at the field and the education and training required.

Get a degree in food science so that you can work in food analysis laboratories

The most helpful degree, if you wish to work for a food testing company, is one in food science. You'll learn about everything from the chemical make-up of food, how it changes when it's cooked, standards of safety and more. With this degree you'll be able to walk into everything from food safety labs to companies that focus on consumer food testing and jump right into a career.

I recommend: Visit the website for the Institute of Food Technologists. They offer a comprehensive Food Science degree at multiple levels. Also, Kansas State University offers a similarly respected program with levels as high as a Doctorate in Food Science.

Earn additional certifications to work in food testing labs

Get national certifications that enable you to work in a laboratory setting for food testing. These certifications will cover a wide array of topics, including common procedural practices and how to practically apply them to your career working in food testing labs. Some collegiate programs offer these accreditations along with your degree, while others will not. To stay competitive, seek out these certifications and complete them as well.

I recommend: Check out the website for the National Center for Food Safety and Technology. They offer everything from seminars to graduate study courses for those interested in working in the field. Another certification to consider is the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points certification. It's called HACCP for short. This certification shows your understanding and commitment to food safety in the laboratory setting.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When working for food testing companies, be sure that you keep up on the latest standards and practices as required by both state and federal law. It's a good idea to keep tabs on the Food and Drug Administration as well as various state boards which deal with food. This way you'll know that you're always in compliance.

Food analysis laboratories perform consumer food testing for food producers worldwide. In recent months, the need for their expertise has been brought to the forefront. Food safety concerns dominate the news, so food testing labs are called on to evaluate the safety of the food supply with greater frequency. The costs associated with food testing services are negligible compared to loss of consumer confidence in your product; so, consumer food testing should be a necessary component of your business.

Food safety laboratories abound, so finding a food testing lab in your area should be an easy task. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, or CIDRAP, can provide your organization with a list of independent food testing labs across the country. Before selecting a food testing company, you need to ask for verification in a few key areas:

1. Lab credentials
2. Certifications
3. Accreditation (ISO 17025) and proficiency testing
   

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Clean up contaminants using food testing services

Food testing companies provide analysis services to identify extraneous matter and filth in food products. The thought of testing for such substances may seem unpleasant; however, this material must be identified to protect the integrity of the food product. Some food testing labs specialize in analyzing food products for foreign matter, mold, rot and raw material.

I recommend: Central Hudson Laboratory specializes in extraneous matter and filth analysis. Their analysis involves a 3-prong approach of identification, sanitary inspections and workshop training. Another specialist in this field is Strasburger & Siegel, Inc. It is one of the oldest food testing laboratories in the United States, and they have worked with a number of regulatory agencies.

Weed out pesticides by using food testing companies

Pesticides are used to control weeds and prevent damage to crops by insects or rodents. Due to this fact, pesticide residue may be found in food products. Food testing services analyze pesticide residue to make sure levels are below tolerance level for human consumption. Food products found above tolerance level can be seized and destroyed by government officials.

I recommend: The National Food Laboratory, Inc., provides the greatest array of residue testing in the food and beverage industry. Krueger Food Laboratories, Inc., offers single residue testing for particular chemicals as well as multi-residue screens.

Centralize testing with food analysis laboratories

Food testing labs that specialize in food science can provide a central testing facility for all of your testing needs. The number of regulations regarding food production is on the increase, so food testing companies that address all of your processing needs is a smart investment. General food science labs can perform full microbiology, chemical analysis and forensic testing on meat, poultry, seafood, produce and dairy food products.

I recommend: Certified Laboratories, Inc., began as a dairy laboratory; but, they have transitioned into a full-service food testing lab. Their current areas of expertise are dairy, juices, meat, seafood, spices and refrigerated foods. The food science department of Microbac is skilled in food microbiology, forensics and food chemistry testing for all types of food products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation website allows you to search for accredited food testing laboratories and view their accreditation certificates online.

When it comes to food, safety and cleanliness matter above all else. Every restaurateur or owner of a food-manufacturing facility understands the consequences a business can suffer if it doesn't take precautions to ensure that its foods and beverages don't present a serious health risk. To that end, businesses today depend on food-testing laboratories to perform standardized tests that will identify and remove harmful contaminants. Here's an overview of key facts and terms that any one in the food business should be aware of in order to understand the significance of food testing.

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Natural contaminants

This broad term includes the insect filth, rodent hair and parasites that can make their way into the foods we eat, either by accident or through food cultivation and processing.

I recommend: Read the discussion at Six Wise to find out why these natural contaminants are more prevalent in the consumer food supply than you think. Six Wise also analyzes the dangers these contaminants present to humans and identifies the most common foods that natural contaminants attack.

Package integrity

When companies test for food package integrity, they try to make sure these packages are able to keep food clean and sterile from the time immediately following manufacture or processing to when they reach the consumer.

I recommend: The discussion of package integrity at TM Electronics takes you through the testing process. It also compares the main types of package integrity testing used by food scientists today.

Food-thermal processing

Food-thermal processing is a method of applying heat to foods so as to eliminate harmful microorganisms.

I recommend: Strasburger & Siegel briefly explain the food-thermal processing system and discuss regulatory filings that food-testing labs must make in order to perform these analyses.

Shelf-life testing

Shelf-life testing is performed so that researchers can accurately estimate the time frame during which a product will remain safe for consumption once it has left the manufacturer.

I recommend: Read EMSL Analytical to understand the criteria and model for shelf-life testing that any food laboratory uses. EMSL also explains how this analysis predicts a product's shelf life.

Extraneous-matter analysis

This broad term includes all objective measurements to find foreign matter in food and beverages.

I recommend: The approach to extraneous-matter analysis taken by Central Hudson Laboratory represents the typical approach that any food-testing company takes. Central Hudson Lab explains the main targets of this analysis and how it can be used to detect a product's sanitation history.

Food-sanitation inspections

Performed at food businesses by third parties, food-sanitation inspections are intended to help restaurant and food-service owners identify any practices that pose a serious health risk. For example, a food-sanitation inspector may detect that your cooks are not doing an adequate job of sanitizing work surfaces that were used to prepare poultry.

I recommend: Microbac details the components of a food-sanitation inspection and how these inspections can be customized to your food business.

Food testing services are used to test products for everything from contaminants to making sure there is enough of a nutrient in it in order to put it on the label. Food testing services are not something your consumer product company can go without so it is important to set the proper budget to cover all the necessary tests. It is always a good idea, too, to allocate extra money in your budget for unexpected food testing laboratories pricing and costs that are bound to arise.

Food testing companies often charge per test so you can determine prior to testing, at least, how many tests you will need to have run. Be sure to also include in your budget re-tests in the event that a contaminant is found or a nutrient is low. Consider the following food testing laboratories pricing and costs when setting your food testing labs budget:

1. Food testing labs can test for microorganisms and other contaminants.

2. Food testing companies can be hired to determine the nutritional content of your products.

3. Consumer food testing labs can evaluate your products for taste and quality.

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Hire food testing services to test for microbiology

There are many things that could contaminate food grade products. Food testing services charge per microbiological sample for each organism being tested. The price depends on how labor intensive the test is for each organism as it differs from contaminant to contaminant. An average microbiological test at a food testing company, for one sample, is between $20 and $50. Most tests have a flat fee; however, there are some microbiological tests that may be priced based on the request such as identifying a bacteria or foreign substance.

I recommend: Strasburger & Siegel provides a comprehensive list of all of the microbiological tests that they run in their food testing lab. The National Food Lab discusses their program for testing for food contaminants as well as pesticides.

Enlist food testing laboratories to evaluate the nutritional content of your products

Making claims on a nutritional label is a serious business. Consumers purchase products, often times, based on the special nutritional claims made by the company. In order to make nutritional claims, though, the food item has to fall within a very specific range in order to make the claim. For example, an 'excellent' source of calcium needs to have more calcium content than that of a product that claims to be a 'good' source of calcium. Food analysis laboratories can test your products and determine exactly how much of a nutrient is included. These tests cost either in the $20 to $30 range to more than $100. This is due to the complexity of testing for nutrients. Some are rather simple, such as protein or sodium measuring, while others, such as sugars or total fat, are much more difficult to test for which is reflected in the price.

I recommend: Silliker discusses the many nutrients that they can test for in their food testing laboratory. Certified Laboratories defines some of their methods which may help you to understand the difference in price from test to test.

Have food testing labs evaluate the taste of your food products

During the product and development stage of a new product, the taste is crucial to evaluate. There are food testing companies that specialize in sensory evaluation of consumer products. The cost for these services, though, can vary quite a bit based on the request. This type of testing is much more involved than typical laboratory testing, though, because it involves a panel of trained tasters in order to complete the testing. These services can range from $200 per hour up to several thousands of dollars for a comprehensive project.

I recommend: Sensory Spectrum outlines the services that they provide as a food testing business. Specialized Technology Resources describes their consumer food testing process.