Foundation Analytical Laboratory

It's time for another #PeopleBehindTheSample. Allow us to introduce Ryan, one of our senior analysts! 👋 Like many of us, Ryan is an Iowa native. He joined the team in 2011 and can always be counted on to find creative solutions to challenges that arise. In fact, it’s one of the things he enjoys most! But problem-solving isn’t the only thing Ryan has a knack for. He’s also an avid hunter — with the hardware to prove it — and a passionate home brewer. He and his FAL teammates have been known to gather for exclusive tastings of his creations. 🍻

🚨 New Methodology Alert! 🚨 This new test has been in the works for a long time and may be our favorite one yet. We couldn’t be more excited to announce our new Cute Factor analysis capability. It’s something our clients have been asking for and that no other lab has been able to achieve. 👩🔬 We know it will be a game-changer, especially for our agriculture and pet clients. #AprilFools 😜

What if we told you that you could track your sample through every step of the testing process? That’s just one perk of using our proprietary IntegriLIMS® platform, an all-in-one tool for storing and managing your testing and analysis data. You won’t find this level of service, expertise and attention to detail anywhere else. 🧪

With a longer shelf-life comes additional risk. That’s why we’ve added antioxidant analysis to our growing list of testing capabilities. 🤓 Antioxidants like BHA and BHT are great for increasing the longevity of feed and food, but too much of a good thing could become dangerous. Adding an antioxidant analysis to your regular testing provides an additional layer of protection against toxicity for products that rely on an extended shelf life. 👍

The clock is ticking... ⏰ With livestock health or ethanol quality on the line, turnaround time can make all the difference. Luckily, we’ve cracked the code on delivering same-day results for mycotoxin testing. All without compromising accuracy. How? See for yourself. ☺️

It’s official. Spring has sprung! For some, it means spring cleaning. For dairy producers, it means looking for feed cost savings. Byproduct feeds like dried distiller’s grains and hominy feed are great for offsetting the costs of supplementing with other grains, but #DYK there are variations in nutrient profiles and a known mycotoxin presence to be aware of? 👀 Here’s what you should watch for this spring: https://bit.ly/4ih5ZMt

Everyone should celebrate #NationalAgDay because everyone is impacted by agriculture. From the food you eat to the coffee you drink to the ethanol gas you put in your car, you have an agronomist to thank. We’re grateful to work with ethanol producers and feed processors to ensure the highest quality outputs so consumers get the highest quality goods. How are you celebrating? 🚜

We spy with our little eye some future STEM leaders! This week people from all over the state of Iowa gathered for Iowa’s annual STEM Day at the Capitol event. Something we look forward to every year! 🔬👩💻⚙️📐 Those lucky enough to attend may have seen a familiar face up on stage. As co-chair of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, our own Diane Young spoke about the importance of an educated, skilled workforce and the council-funded programming helping make that a reality. It was truly a celebration of STEM today and STEM tomorrow. 🏆 Iowa STEM Teacher Award presentation (6 individual educators) 🥽 Educator and student-led demonstrations of STEM programs 🤝 Network of STEM partners from across the state We love how much Iowa loves STEM. Next year’s event can’t come soon enough!

We can’t stop, we won’t stop, continuing to add new methodologies to our testing and analysis portfolio. The newest addition: Melamine. We take pet and livestock health seriously. Melamine presence is known to pose serious health risks for animals who consume contaminated feedstock or pet food. One small test. One BIG impact. Want to learn more? Just ask!

Up next in our #PeopleBehindTheSample series, we’d love for you to meet Brittany! As a quality manager, Brittany’s role is a pretty big deal. But she’s got it all under control. 😎 Brittany first joined the team as an intern in 2010 and has been with us ever since. When she’s not on the clock, she’s most likely trading her pipettes for knitting needles and crochet hooks or wrangling her four kids — who all have K-names! 🧶