Food safety lab opens its doors in Battle Creek

Tests are under way at the new Covance Inc. nutritional chemistry and food safety laboratory in Battle Creek.

The new lab supports microbiological food safety testing for a variety of clients across the region. It officially opened Oct. 6.

The laboratory, located in a 30,000-square-foot building on East Hamblin Ave., represents at $14 million investment for Covance and has been called the the single largest investment made by a private company in the downtown since city developers announced plans in November 2008 to revitalize the city center.

Covance entered into a 7-year, $42 million strategic services contract with Kellogg Co. to consolidate much of the food company’s analytical chemistry, microbiology, and stability testing with Covance. Kellogg will be an anchor client in this new facility.

A Covance representative also will serve on the Advisory Board for the National Center for Food Protection (NCFP) Emerging Technology Accelerator initiative in Battle Creek.

The company received $4.3 in financial incentives from the State of Michigan and Battle Creek as part of the package bringing it to downtown Battle Creek.  

The building has the capacity for up to 80 workers and already nearly 40 have been hired.

“This strategic alliance with Covance is a natural evolution of a trust-based relationship that has grown over 30 years,” says Margaret Bath, of the Kellogg Company.

Covance, with headquarters in Princeton, NJ, is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive drug development and food testing companies with annual revenues greater than $1.7 billion, global operations in more than 25 countries, and more than 10,000 employees worldwide.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: James Lovett, Covance Inc.