Food safety testing hub opens in Melbourne

The new food safety testing hub at the Mérieux Nutrisciences AQ (MNAQ) campus in West Melbourne consolidates six leases and three facilities into one 9000 m² scientific facility. Delivered by construction specialist Connected, the campus is designed to create a national hub for food safety that can ensure product quality at scale.

The facility features specialist lab facilities, its own substation, contamination-controlled zones to enable high-volume testing, solar and complex trenching networks to power advanced testing equipment.

Combining technological innovation, collaborative workspaces and specialist lab facilities, the facility is designed to enable earlier detection and quantification of contaminants, helping to minimise food recalls, reduce waste across the value chain and preserve market confidence.

“What we have created isn’t just a facility, but the physical conditions for a completely different way of working. Bringing six leases and three siloed facilities together into one purpose-built campus fundamentally changes what MNAQ can achieve and illustrates the power of place for any business,” said Connected General Manager Emma Bedford.

MNAQ is a specialist in food testing, inspection and certification services and provides the food microbiology and chemistry capabilities throughout Australia. Its new facility is now operational, providing services such as microbiology, chemistry, allergens, digital tools, auditing, training, consultancy, labelling, and sensory & research.

Images supplied by Connected. Image credit: Eugene Hyland