Kerry recently celebrated the opening of a new BSL-2-certified Food Protection and Preservation Lab at the company’s Beloit Innovation Center in in Beloit, Wisconsin. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on June 19, 2024, marking a significant step in Kerry’s efforts to ensure food safety and quality while reducing food waste.

The new lab at Kerry’s Beloit Innovation Center has been certified against BSL-2 standards to safely handle food safety microorganisms, enabling in-house isolation of bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli. The company’s food scientists and experts will use the state-of-the-art lab to conduct verification studies of food safety protocols against inoculated foods.