17 Feb 2015

(Johannesburg) Intertek, a leading testing services provider to industries worldwide, has been awarded the ISO 17025 accreditation for its Precision Agriculture Laboratory based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The accreditation comprises chemical and microbiological analyses to ISO/IEC 1725:2005. These analyses are performed on Soil, Fertilizer, Water, Feed, and Food by this purpose-built laboratory.

Granted through the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS), the accreditation is a significant achievement, placing Intertek at the forefront for soil testing in Africa. The Precision Agriculture Laboratory in Johannesburg is amongst the first laboratories in South Africa to obtain ISO 17025 accreditation for soil nutrition testing.

Intertek precision farming includes expertise which can increase agricultural output, such as yield per hectare, while reducing costly inputs. Precision farming services include soil analysis to help manage soil fertility, determine crop potential and tillage practices, as well as farm layouts. In addition, plant analysis evaluates and manages the nutrient status of a crop during the growing season, and water analysis helps determine risks involved in irrigation.

Charles Botha, Regional Manager Sub Sahara Africa at Intertek Agricultural Services, said, “Receiving ISO 17025 accreditation is a notable achievement for our Precision Agriculture Laboratory, and a recognition of Intertek’s commitment to providing best-in-class expertise in upstream agricultural services.”

The laboratory also tests food and agricultural products for potentially harmful food-borne micro-organisms, including pathogens like Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as spoilage organisms such as yeasts and moulds. Chemical testing of moisture, fat, protein and ash content is also provided. The lab’s capabilities, expertise, and cutting-edge technology provides our clients with the support needed to help produce safe, high quality products which meet food safety regulations and customer requirements.

Learn more about Precision Agriculture and Food testing services offered by Intertek:

For further information:

Johan Botha
Precision Agriculture Laboratory Manager
Tel: +27 11 964 1004
Email: precision.ag@intertek.com  

Adelina Dagmadzhyan
Marketing Manager Agricultural Services
Tel: +41 22 319 35 96
Email: adelina.dagmadzhyan@intertek.com  

Erik Holladay
Global Marketing Director, Commodities
Tel: +1 713 534 0020
Email: erik.holladay@intertek.com

About Intertek:

Intertek is a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide. From auditing and inspection, to testing, training, advisory, quality assurance and certification, Intertek adds value for its customers by helping improve the quality and safety of their products, assets and processes. With a network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 36,000 people in more than 100 countries, Intertek supports companies’ success in the global marketplace, by helping customers to meet end users’ expectations for safety, sustainability, performance, integrity and desirability in virtually any market worldwide. Visit www.intertek.com.