Insights from a Food Lab

Efficient and reliable sample preparation is essential for food manufacturers and contract laboratories tasked with delivering accurate, regulatory-compliant analytical data. From elemental testing to nutritional profiling, laboratories must manage increasingly complex matrices while maintaining fast turnaround times and data integrity. This paper explores how microwave sample preparation technologies—including digestion, extraction, and hydrolysis—support high-throughput food and feed analysis. It will also address the “total workflow” approach that ultimately helps labs reduce processing time, improve data quality, and enhance operational efficiency across a wide range of applications. Light Labs, a modern analytical testing facility committed to food safety and lab efficiency, is also featured for how they leverage single reaction chamber (SRC) microwave technology to streamline trace metals analysis.