Entering the Food Safety Market: A Strategic Step Forward

By Rob DeMalo, M.Sc. Vice President of Sales, Pace^® Building Sciences

At Pace^®, the focus has always been clear: helping customers navigate complexity with confidence. With the integration of QuanTEM Laboratories, LLC in Oklahoma City now underway, expanding into food safety marks a meaningful step forward in how we support customers across an even broader range of needs.

The acquisition of QuanTEM adds a strong foundation of environmental services, including asbestos PLM/PCM, lead analysis, and environmental microbiology, along with established food microbiology capabilities, accredited against ISO 17025 quality guidelines, under the QuanTEM Food Safety Laboratories, LLC brand. Together, these capabilities strengthen our ability to deliver integrated, end to end solutions to both existing and new customers.

A Natural Evolution for the Business

As industries evolve and regulatory demands increase, the need for dependable testing partners continues to grow. Expanding into food safety builds on our existing scientific expertise while opening new opportunities to support customers in critical, high growth areas.

For existing customers, this expansion provides access to complementary services. For food safety customers joining through QuanTEM, it offers expanded resources, advanced methodologies, and the strength of a national laboratory network, while maintaining the service and responsiveness they rely on.

Why Food Safety and Why Now?

This move is driven by both strategic alignment and the strength of QuanTEM’s existing capabilities. QuanTEM operates across both environmental testing within building sciences and food safety, with services that include asbestos, lead, environmental microbiology, and food microbiology. The combination of these capabilities, along with a well-established and recognized brand in the building sciences market, strengthens our ability to expand into food safety while continuing to support customers across multiple service areas.

At the same time, regulatory pressure continues to intensify. With the recent updates of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and increasing global scrutiny, companies face growing expectations to ensure product safety and compliance. As a result, demand for reliable, timely food testing continues to rise.

A Market Defined by Growth and Regulation

Food safety testing has become essential for manufacturers and co packers alike. Increased awareness of contamination risks, recalls, and public health concerns has elevated microbiological testing from a requirement to a strategic priority.

From pathogen detection, such as Listeria, to compliance testing for imported goods, the need for accurate, defensible results is expanding alongside regulatory requirements. These dynamics are shaping the market and creating new opportunities for innovation and service delivery.

Meeting a Growing Need

Across the food industry, expectations continue to rise. Our food safety services are designed to help organizations:

• Verify production environments are free from harmful pathogens
• Ensure products are safe for consumption
• Maintain compliance with evolving regulations
• Access timely, reliable data to inform decisions

Whether supporting routine quality programs or responding to complex challenges such as contamination events or product holds, the focus is on delivering clarity, speed, and confidence at every stage.

Looking Ahead

Food safety is a dynamic and rapidly evolving space, and continued investment in capabilities and geographic reach remains a priority.

Our focus is clear: delivering high quality testing, rapid and defensible results, and actionable insights, supported by responsive service and clear communication. By combining scientific expertise with a strong commitment to customer success, we help organizations protect their brands, ensure compliance, and bring safe, high-quality products to market.