Ames, Iowa
April 1, 2004
Iowa State
University's Seed Testing Lab has reached a
first-in-the-nation milestone. It is the first seed-testing
laboratory on a university campus to receive ISO 9001:2000
certification.
The International Organization for Standardization, known as
ISO, is a network of national standards used in 148 countries.
The standards set during ISO certification ensure that
participating organizations follow a series of procedures that
assure the quality of its products and services.
"ISO
certification means the quality of our internal processes has
been verified by a third party," said Dan Curry, seed lab
manager. "This is an internationally recognized quality
management system that assures our customers the utmost in
seed quality analysis."
The certification was conducted by Orion Registrar, Inc.,
which is internationally accredited by the United States
Registrar Accreditation Board, the Standards Council of Canada
and the Dutch Council for Accreditation. All are recognized
throughout the world for quality and environmental program
accreditation.
Although the
auditing process took more than 18 months, the registration
process began earlier with a detailed profile and assessment
of the seed lab.
"Orion
looked at our quality manual, documentation and records to
analyze if we were doing what we said we were doing," Curry
said. "This is an important aspect of our service because we
test seed samples for germination, purity, health and GMO
content."
Orion will continue to periodically monitor the Seed Testing
Lab over the next three years. The lab is responsible for
upholding the standards associated with the certification. The
lab must inform Orion of any changes in its quality practices
and report any customer communication about products or
services.
"This ensures that we are more customer focused, which is the
underlying goal of the certification," Curry said.
"Third-party verification of the lab will ensure that the lab
meets the ISO standards."
The
certification is a quality assurance system that has been
adopted by thousands of companies worldwide. Curry said he
thinks more seed industry companies will work towards
attaining certification in the future.
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