Food and Beverage Analysis

Food Emergency Response
The State Public Health Laboratory is partnering with the FDA Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) to develop capacity to respond to a public health emergency in a chemical or radiological event. This capacity will augment the State Public Health Laboratory with the ability to analyze food/beverage samples for the presence of various chemical and radiological contaminants.

Contact us for more information.

Food Surveillance
In an effort to monitor food/beverage products for possible chemical contaminants, the State Public Health Laboratory is conducting a food surveillance program in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Section for Environmental Public Health. This program was established to routinely analyze food/beverage products for potential toxic chemicals that could affect the public health of Missourians.

For more information on this program, contact us.

Food and Beverage Sample Collection Information
All food/beverage samples must be initiated and submitted with approval from the State Public Health Laboratory and the Missouri Department of Health and Services’ Section for Environmental Public Health.

Specimen collection supplies must be obtained from the State Public Health Laboratory after approval for collection has been granted.

Food samples must have at least 25 grams of food material collected in a suitable container for the Poisons in Food/Beverages Screen.

Beverage samples must have at least 50 milliliters of beverage collected in a suitable container for the Poisons in Food/Beverages Screen.

Food/Beverage minimum sample collection amounts for radiological analysis are density dependant, contact us.

Shipping and collection procedures and forms are available by contacting us.

SPHL Food Specimen Collection Form