Contract research organisation (CRO) Covance has opened its first nutritional chemistry laboratory outside the US in the city, expanding its existing facilities in Singapore, to serve the growing number of food manufactures operating in the area.
Independent testing of products prior to shipment could simplify export requirements and ease product release times, which have been affected by a series of health scares involving goods shipped from China.
Joseph Herring, chairman and chief executive officer of Covance, said companies operating in the region are currently required to ship their products all the way to the US for testing.
"Because time is so critical, testing here will reduce that testing time by 50 per cent," he said. "This is important because they may have a large production run that they want to hand to distribution for consumer use."
The laboratory in Singapore will initially focus on the testing of infant formula for release, stability, and labelling data, and will also include testing of food and health supplements, according Chinese state media organisation, Xinhuanet.
Testing of food shipments has increased in the region in an attempt to regain the confidence of importers. China recently announced every shipment of all types of food would be inspected, with at least one box in each, checked, then each package or shipment affixed with a government seal.
Covance's new 5,000-square-foot facility, costing S$3 million, will serve as the company's regional headquarters for Asia.
