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The Importance of Accreditation in Seed Testing

March 13, 2025

In a recent issue of Seed World Canada, Janek Bartel and Michelle Krawetz of our Crop Science team explained how our accreditations help us to ensure accuracy and consistency when providing seed testing services for our clients.

Janek and Michelle pointed out that any laboratory performing seed quality testing in Canada must have the proper accreditations. This includes having at least one analyst accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for each test conducted.

Our seed laboratories in Alberta are fully accredited by the CFIA, ensuring that our work is held to the highest standards, and regularly audited by Seeds Canada. Our largest facility, in Sherwood Park, Alberta, is also accredited under the Recognition of Export Grain Analysis by Authorized Laboratories (REGAL) program. In addition, it can offer International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Blue and Orange Certificates.

Demonstrating our commitment to sustainability, our Sherwood Park lab has also demonstrated compliance with the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) since 2023.

Our lab in Grande Prairie, Alberta, which specializes in forages and native seed species, adheres to ISTA and Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) standards.

What this means for our clients

As Janek and Michelle said, "Clients may not always notice or understand the importance of our accreditations, but they certainly benefit from them."

All of our accreditations ensure that our processes meet rigorous international standards. Our labs are subject to regular audits. "Audits offer a glimpse into our quality system, which is about maintaining a high quality of testing and results delivery every single day."

This means that our clients can rely on us for accurate and consistent tests and results so they can make better decisions.

Read the full article in Seed World Canada.

Janek Bartel
Crop Science Laboratory Manager
SGS
t: +1 800 952 5407

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,500 laboratories and business facilities across 115 countries, supported by a team of 99,500 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, compliance and sustainability.

Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and reliability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Brightsight, Bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.

SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH0002497458, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).

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