Metal detection today remains the backbone of food safety compliance for the majority of the industry, but especially in the chilled and frozen food sector. Specifically, simultaneous multi-frequency scanning is making it much easier for manufacturers to identify hard-to-find metals in food products with high conductivity (so-called "wet" products). These products may, literally, have high water content. Additionally, above-average conductivity may also be linked to high levels of minerals, particularly salt. These can be found in products such as bacon, or ready meals.

FoodChain ID, a Fairfield, Va.-based portfolio company of Paine Schwartz Partners, LLC, acquired Diversified Laboratories, LLC, Chantilly, Va., to create what is said to be the most comprehensive contaminants testing solutions offerings.

Food Safety Net Services (FSNS), San Antonio, Texas, opened a leading-edge analytical testing laboratory for the food and consumables industry.

SGS opened a new food microbiological testing laboratory at its Fairfield, N.J., headquarters location.

STAR-K Kosher Certification, Baltimore, Md., partnered with Registrar Corp., Hampton, Va., where Registrar’s clients can explore Kosher certification and existent STAR-K Kosher-certified clients in need of FDA registration.

Environmental sampling is increasingly considered an essential part of any comprehensive food safety program, but building a program and achieving consensus internally is easier said than done.

CAS DataLoggers, Chesterland, Ohio, provided the automated food safety monitoring solution for Longhini Sausage Co. Inc., a New Haven, Conn.-based sausage processor.

3M Food Safety, St. Paul, Minn., introduced two assays that can detect the genes associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., received $10 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, D.C., to establish what is said to be the first-ever Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL).

Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, Minn., launched the Food Safety Culture Assessment, an innovative and tested tool to help measure and advance food safety behaviors and the overall food safety culture within food retail organizations.