SERDANG – The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) laboratory, MARDILab, offers food and agricultural analysis services for the benefit of entrepreneurs at prices 40 per cent cheaper than private labs.
MARDI director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Zabawi Abdul Ghani said MARDILab in Serdang offers 130 types of analyses, including food chemistry analysis, food microbiology analysis and agriculture chemical analysis.
Food chemistry analysis involves analysis on total calories, sugar and vitamin content, while food microbiology analysis involves the counting of yeast and mold, detecting the presence of the E coli bacteria and bacillus cereus, and agriculture chemistry analysis is to detect the presence of major elements, heavy elements and trace elements.
According to him, MARDILab has been awarded the Laboratory Excellence Award by the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry (IKM), which places it on the same standard as corporate labs in Malaysia in terms of the capability of its analysis services.
“We charge lower rates compared to private labs because MARDI, being a government agency, wants to assist entrepreneurs trying to enter the business field,” he said in a media conference here today.
Mohamad Zabawi said MARDILab in Serdang handles around 16,000 to 20,000 analyses a year, relying on the expertise of nine chemists utilising the latest equipment and technology.
“Analysis of samples sent for testing at the Serdang MARDILab will be completed between seven to 30 days,” he said, adding that the lab offered additional discounts if large quantities were involved.
Mohamad Zabawi said MARDILab was established to offer analysis services for food and agriculture products according to the standards outlined in the Food Act 1983, Food Regulations 1985 and other legal requirements.
“It is crucial that food products and agricultural produce meet the standards and needs of local and global markets,” he added.
Last Friday, MARDI won two IKM Awards of 2020/2021 during the 2020/2021 Chemistry Night and IKM Awards presentation ceremony, which were presented by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
In addition to the Laboratory Excellence Award, MARDI senior research officer Dr Khalisanni Khalid won the IKM Outstanding Young Chemist Award 2021 (Industry). Khalisanni said the award he won proved that the chemists at MARDI were experts in their fields.
Khalisanni is an expert in the fields of physical organic chemistry, surfactant technology and nanotechnology, and holds seven intellectual properties and one technology for public use.
His technology has been successfully commercialised through memorandums of understanding by KPG Resources Sdn Bhd for the production and modification of nano fertilisers, and Hanania Agrotech Sdn Bhd for the technology to process mushroom burgers made from grey oyster mushrooms.
