Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world, has acquired American Analytical Chemistry Laboratories Corp (AACL), a testing, analytics and research company focusing on food, functional foods, nutritional supplements, cosmeceuticals and pharmaceuticals.

Based in Champaign, Ill., AACL provides analytical testing and research services to companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of food, functional foods, drinks and cosmetics, nutritional supplements, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. Its chemical testing services help companies monitor for the presence of residues, pesticides and antibiotics in order to establish compliance with regulations as well as quality and health standards. AACL also helps clients to verify nutrient content and other properties during the product development or registration stages of regulated foods, nutrition supplements, nutraceuticals, functional cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals.

"Intertek's acquisition of AACL broadens our extensive capabilities, including quality, risk and safety assessments, commodity testing and analytics, inspections, auditing and certification," said Jochen Zoller, president of Intertek Food Services. "As the multi-billion dollar functional foods industry continues to experience steady growth, we are well positioned to meet the increased testing and certification needs of our customers."

Increased health awareness is driving growth in the food and functional food market as consumers seek out products that promote good health and improve well being. At the same time, global regulation of these products has increased the need to ensure the accuracy of product composition and nutritional or health benefit claims. Intertek's acquisition of AACL positions the company to meet the growing testing, analytics and certification needs of companies producing, manufacturing and distributing food and functional food products.

Source: Intertek