LGC Standards signs up lab number 2,000 to its food microbiology proficiency testing scheme

19-07-2010

The Quality in Microbiology Scheme registers its 2,000th laboratory

LGC Standards, the major international provider of proficiency testing services, has welcomed the 2,000th laboratory onto its Quality in Microbiology Scheme (QMS), making it one of the largest food microbiology proficiency testing schemes in the world.

QMS aims to promote quality and comparability in the microbiological analysis of food products. The scheme enables laboratories undertaking microbiological analysis of food and dairy products to monitor their performance and demonstrate the quality of their results to third parties such as customers, regulators and accreditation bodies. It also facilitates the monitoring of trends over time, enabling corrective action to be taken in a timely manner.

Through QMS, laboratories have access to a comprehensive range of microorganisms relevant to the food and dairy industries, for use in routine testing and pathogen detection.

The scheme now serves laboratories in 105 countries, including locations such as San Marino, Madagascar and Papua New Guinea. QMS is the scheme of choice for many globally recognised brands and respected names in laboratory analysis around the world. The milestone of 2,000 registered laboratories was achieved after Nestlé joined the proficiency testing scheme, introducing several hundred of its own laboratories, manufacturing sites, supplier laboratories and third party analytical service providers to QMS.

QMS is just one of 29 proficiency schemes available from LGC Standards’ dedicated facility in Bury near Manchester, from where over 100,000 samples are distributed each year. LGC Standards also supports the analytical community with a comprehensive range of reference materials, making it a key partner to thousands of laboratories’ quality assurance programmes.

Notes to editors

About LGC Standards
LGC Standards (www.lgcstandards.com) provides products and services to improve measurement and quality control within the laboratory, and is part of LGC, whose Science & Technology Division acts as the UK National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurements. LGC Standards supplies over 20,000 reference materials, pharmaceutical impurity reference standards, proficiency testing and training in analytical quality. LGC Standards is headquartered in Teddington, Middlesex, UK. Its global centre for excellence in proficiency testing is located in Bury (Greater Manchester). LGC Standards has offices in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, China, Russia and the UK, a joint venture presence in India, and representatives in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey and the US.

About LGC
LGC (www.lgc.co.uk) is an international science-based company and market leader in analytical, forensic and diagnostic services and reference standards. A progressive and innovative enterprise, LGC operates in socially responsible fields underpinning the safety, health and security of the public and the regulation of industry, for UK government departments and blue chip clients.

LGC operates internationally through four divisions - LGC Forensics, LGC Genomics, LGC Standards, and LGC Science & Technology, which includes specialist laboratories delivering contracts for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and supporting LGC's designated role as the UK's National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurement.

Our operations are extensively accredited to international quality standards such as ISO 17025. With headquarters in Teddington, South West London, the LGC Group employs 1500 staff in 28 laboratories and centres across Europe and at sites in India, China and the US. Privatised in 1996 and now majority-owned by funds managed by Bridgepoint, LGC was founded almost 170 years ago as the Laboratory of the Government Chemist - a statutory function maintained by LGC today.