SGS receives confirmation of EPA GLP compliance at Brookings field station and laboratory

Following an inspection by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late September, SGS’s laboratory and field station in Brookings, South Dakota, has received confirmation that it complies with US EPA Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) principles, and that its operations are also compliant.

Brookings is SGS’s North American center of excellence for GLP residue, nutritional equivalence, DNA and ELISA testing to support the development of new crop protection and seed solutions. SGS has established a robust field station with 80 acres (32.4 ha) of land to support GLP compliant biosafety testing of GM seeds as well as residue testing for new pesticides. SGS’s field research team also provides field testing support for efficacy trials, crop safety, plant health and crop production evaluations, seed treatments and regulated seeds, as well as customized planting and harvest services.

During September 2016, a traditional, routine EPA GLP inspection took place in the laboratory as well as at the field station. The inspection concluded with no negative findings with respect to GLP issues, confirming the company’s compliance to EPA GLP principles and our compliant operations.

SGS’s Brookings laboratory ran its first GLP study in 2008 and was inspected by EPA in 2013. This biochemistry laboratory supports testing on protein expression, which can confirm the presence of genetic modification by DNA testing. SGS’s residue group focuses on pesticide residue analysis in all kinds of matrices (e.g. plant, soil), runs method development/validation, independent laboratory validation, as well as residue storage stability testing. Few laboratories provide the full scope of nutritional equivalence testing according to GLP regulations. SGS’s Brookings laboratory offers these services for macro and micronutrients as well as for ash, moisture, fiber content, sugar, vitamins, fat, acids, and proteins. It also offers sample homogenization for GLP studies. The dedicated, on campus, facility allows the homogenization of all matrices (plant, soil, crops, etc.) for sample analysis, while adhering to GLP regulations.

In addition, SGS’s laboratory research group also provides R&D seed treatment services operating according to GLP. Members of this team are experts in R&D treatment of seeds, seed formulation evaluation with all requested chemical (loading analysis), biological (germination, vigor) as well as safety assessments (dust off by Heubach).

With more than 110 experts the Brookings, South Dakota laboratory is the largest private seed testing laboratory in the world.