The Oregon Department of Agriculture´s Export Service Center (ESC) assists companies with pre-export analysis and certification of food products. The ESC is a certified customs laboratory for U.S. foods shipped to Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In addition, seventeen other countries accept ESC analytical results in lieu of testing at the destination port.

 

Specialists at the ESC offer consultative and analytical services under four primary program areas: GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) detection , Pesticide Residue, Food Chemistry and Microbiology.

 

The ESC is located in the Food Innovation Center, a public service program of Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Relationships and collaborative work with ODA and OSU entities enable the ESC to provide access to important services for food producers, processors, marketers and entrepreneurs. To address the unique needs of each client, the ESC services may be integrated with services offered by the ODA´s Agricultural Development and Marketing Division, Commodity Inspection Division, Regulatory Laboratory, Plant Division, or with one of the many technical development services offered by Oregon State University.

 

The ESC recognizes the growing concerns about food safety in the international marketplace. Through a concurrent increase in the interaction with government laboratories in foreign countries, the ESC is able to modify current services and develop new services that work to meet challenging import requirements.

 

The Export Service Center dedicates significant resources to remain current on the latest developments and to ensure that quality is maintained to the highest standards. A trained Quality Assurance (QA) officer, written manuals, and participation in external audit programs that continually challenge the laboratory to meet and exceed the highest quality standards support the ESC quality control and quality assurance program.