BRAZIL – Testing, inspection, and certification giant SGS has announced the ISO 17025 and AOAC International accreditation of its new laboratory in São Bernardo do Campo, within the metropolitan region of São Paulo city, Brazil.
The company claims that São Paulo is the latest location to benefit from a wider scope of testing services for the agriculture and food industries, with a new laboratory set up to meet the latest international standards for food safety and quality analysis.
The brand-new cutting-edge facility is well situated adjacent to the Port of Santos, one of Brazil’s main logistical hubs, and it provides quick turnaround times for high-quality tests along the supply chain, from agricultural production to the manufacture of feed and food.
“These services help our customers to ensure the quality, safety, and regulatory compliance of their products,” SGS says.
The 1,200 m2 laboratory currently employs 25 permanent staff members providing a full range of testing services including microbiology, nutritional analysis, pesticides, minerals, heavy metals, as well as molecular biology.
In order to help with expedited shipment testing, it also offers an express testing service for agricultural commodities and export products with a remarkable three-day turnaround time.
“I am proud of the whole team for achieving ISO 17025 and AOAC International accreditation for this new laboratory in a joint effort.
“We are now best placed to provide rapid, robust, and reliable testing services throughout Brazil to meet our clients’ requirements,” Mauro Machado, Director of SGS in Brazil, said.
The recent investment enhances SGS’ portfolio of inspection, certification, regulatory compliance, and advisory solutions including food labeling, risk management, and market intelligence services supporting local needs in Brazil, and the export market abroad.
“This new laboratory completes our food testing footprint in Central and South America with new capabilities added in 2022 in Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina as well as our new laboratory in Mexico,” it says.
ISO 17025
ISO 17025 is a quality management system and the main standard for testing and calibration laboratories.
It enables laboratories to demonstrate that they operate competently and generate valid results, thereby promoting confidence in their work both nationally and around the world.
It also helps facilitate cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results between countries. Test reports and certificates can be accepted from one country to another without the need for further testing, which, in turn, improves international trade.
To achieve ISO 17025 accreditation, the laboratory’s quality management system, and technical competence is evaluated thoroughly by a third party.
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