Should Your Food Manufacturing Facility Use In-House Or Contract Lab Pathogen Testing? (Part Two Of Two)

By Peyman Fatemi, Ph.D., VP of Scientific Affairs, The Acheson Group

In the first portion of Should Your Food Manufacturing Facility Use In-House Or Contract Lab Pathogen Testing? we discussed the ultimate goals of a food manufacturer’s food testing program, as well as examined the pros and cons of both In-House and contract lab pathogen testing labs. Here, in the second portion of the series, we will discuss the methods of pathogen testing being used by different geographic regions across the world and how some food manufacturers utilize a combination of both In-House and contracted food safety labs. Further, we will explore the importance of accuracy and accreditation, as well as recap the decision-making process for determining the best pathogen testing method for your facility.

What Is The Industry Trending To? 
According to the recent lab analysis by Tom Weschler, U.S. labs are moving more and more to contract laboratories. Contract laboratories can purchase reagents, automated instruments, and have expanded personnel, which is driving down the cost per test/result. In Europe, contract laboratories are the norm, with In-House labs being utilized by only the largest of food companies. In Asia and the rest of the world, contract labs have very little impact as In-House labs dominate.