New Mexico State University’s Food Safety Laboratory, which has a long history of serving as a trusted technical and scientific resource nationally, especially for the southwestern United States, has achieved accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation for microbiological testing services, affirming the laboratory’s technical competence and the reliability of its methods.

Awarded this month, ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is widely recognized as the international benchmark for laboratory testing and calibration competence. The accreditation strengthens in-state access to high-quality microbiological testing, helping New Mexico producers reduce costs and avoid delays associated with sending samples to out-of-state commercial laboratories. The lab is part of the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems at NMSU.