NEW YORK — Bureau Veritas announced Jan. 13 it has partnered with Avena Foods Limited to provide on-site testing services at Avena’s Purity Protocol facility in Regina, Saskatchewan. Bureau Veritas will help Avena upgrade its testing capabilities in pursuit of an ISO 17025 product safety and quality standard.

As part of the partnership, Bureau Veritas will provide on-site support as well as conduct off-site sample analysis for Avena Foods. Bureau Veritas will also facilitate laboratory operations and testing by staffing full-time personnel at Avena’s Purity Protocol facility.

"We are pleased to be partnering with Bureau Veritas to operate our on-site laboratory operations,” said Gord Flaten, chief executive officer at Avena. “This allows us to focus on producing and selling high-quality food ingredients, knowing that the laboratory tests are conducted by a world-class third-party expert.”

Avena Foods supplies specialty ingredients to pet food, food and beverage, and nutraceutical manufacturers. The company grows and mills its functional, gluten-free oat and pulse ingredients with sustainability in mind.  

Bureau Veritas provides a complete range of testing, inspection and certification (TIC) capabilities and services for food companies.

"Bureau Veritas is extremely excited to provide on-site laboratory services to Avena,” said Waylon Sharp, vice president and chief operations officer of agrifood at Bureau Veritas. “This partnership allows for laboratory operational assistance to a key partner by mitigating their risks associated with staffing and rising laboratory costs while at the same time offering independent, accredited third-party food and agri testing to a region that is currently underserved.”