Waters and the University of Maryland have established a facility to train scientists from foreign governments and manufacturers on analysis methods that will help them meet US food safety standards.
Set to open in 2011, the International Food Safety Training Laboratory (IFSTL) will be operated by the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, a collaboration between the University of Maryland and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The IFSTL will provide year-round science-based, hands-on training that supports the FDA's food safety goals.
It will be prepared to train scientists to detect both chemical and microbiological contaminants.
Waters is the driving force behind the creation of the IFSTL through a multi-year commitment to fund the laboratory's construction, provide analytical systems, and assist the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in designing training programmes.
The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition will conduct laboratory training to give foreign and US scientists from government and industry the ability to achieve these best food safety practices.
In addition to providing direct support to scientists, this initiative will support the goals of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum to establish laboratory capacity building measures for the 22 member countries.