The requirements for sophisticated instruments and well-trained, experienced analysts in food safety laboratories are essential factors in making certain that food is safe from chemical contamination.

The role of food labs in the development of new flavours, textures and products.

Some say the world's population will swell to 9 billion people by 2030 and that will present significant challenges for agriculture to provide enough food to meet demand, says University of Idaho animal scientist Rod Hill.

The U.S. imports food from more than 150 countries and territories. Much of it is fresh produce and seafood, which can carry microscopic contaminants. While these contaminants become smaller and more sophisticated and food safety laws become stricter, food testing laboratories are coming up with new technologies and processes to detect chemical toxins before they reach the consumer.

A series of food safety crises, including melamine contamination in pet foods; E coli-tainted spinach, peppers and green onions; and a Salmonella typhimurium outbreak in peanut products have transformed food analysts from vigilant sentries into veritable centurions stridently safeguarding the quality, regulatory compliance and safety of our food.

Using DNA barcoding technology, University of Guelph researchers have found that 25 per cent of fish are mislabelled and in a majority of the cases, the fillets are sold as species of higher values.