International Lab to Train Scientists on Food Safety

Waters Corporation and the University of Maryland have founded a laboratory to train scientists and food manufacturers on methods of food analysis and meeting US food safety standards.

The International Food Safety Training Laboratory (IFSTL), scheduled to open in 2011, will provide training that supports the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) food safety goals.

The IFSTL will train scientists to detect chemical and microbiological contaminants, the corporation said.

The laboratory will be operated by the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, a collaboration between the University of Maryland and the FDA.

The US imports more than $80bn-worth of food from 150 countries, resulting in about 15% of the total US food supply.