Accreditation for the milk products laboratory.

On Friday 10th February, the Department of Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca del Cabildo de Fuerteventura, under the direction of Juan Estárico, published the decision of ENAC, which has accredited the milk products laboratory of Fuerteventura’s microbiological analysis. This is the first time that such an accreditation has been awarde to any facility on the Canary Islands.

This means the laboratory will be able to carry out studies for ENAC, and is accredited to develop tests for listeria monocytogenes, aerobic mesophiles, coliforms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

According to Estárico, this is the first laboratory accredited in all the Canaries, and as a consequence the Government of the Canaries will be asked to declare the laboratory as a reference for such tests. The aim of his department is to continue the accreditation of technicians for the analysis of food and agricultural products, as well as microbiological, to be able to provide a service to food sectors such as cheese producers, bar and restaurant owners and hoteliers.

At the moment, tests are carried out by other laboratories of the departments of Health and Agriculure of the Canarian Government, as well as diverse locations on the Iberian Penisula. Now, having achieved this award, the objective of the Cabildo is to extend the laboratory to develop the analysis of water and land, which are very appealing to the agricultural sector.

Juan Estárico noted that the achievement of this award is the result of the effort, both personal and economic, that has been put in since the first steps were taken in 1998 to acquire this laboratory. Besides this there is no doubt the accreditation will be of enormous benefit to the professionals of the sector, who will be able to obtain an analysis in less than 24 hours, and at the same time, it will help them maintain the high quality of their cheese so that arrives at the point of consumption in the best possible condition.

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