About Us
BCN Research Laboratories, Inc. is a food, beverage and water testing laboratory located in Rockford, TN that has been providing unparalleled service to the food and beverage processing industry since 1988.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide our customers with the highest quality laboratory testing and an unparalelled customer service while providing the most competitive prices.
“When I founded BCN Labs, I knew I wanted to work in food mycology. My first logo was an apple since I remembered moldy apples from my childhood (long story). My main mission was to help companies prevent food spoilage. After 36 years, we still have the same mission.” Emilia Rico, Ph.D.
Our Services
BCN Labs specializes in food and beverage microbiology including pathogen testing and mycology (yeast and mold spoilage). Our strong background in beverage and other acid food spoilage makes us indispensable for these sectors of the processing industry. We also specialize in intermediate and low-water activity food spoilage as well as preserved food and beverage spoilage. We are one of the leaders in the U.S. in food mycology and experts in spoilage of foods and beverages by molds such as heat-resistant, preservative-resistant and xerophilic molds. We are also one of the leaders in mold identification since we are one of the few labs that confirm the DNA sequencing results using traditional techniques.
Our Founder
The founder and owner of BCN Labs, Dr. Emilia Rico, has done extensive work in the area of food microbiology and mycology. She is well known for her expertise in the area of spoilage and pathogen contamination investigation and prevention. She has trained numerous food and beverage company personnel in food and beverage microbiology and mycology from the U.S. as well as Latin America and Europe. She is frequently invited as a speaker in the areas of food and beverage spoilage, food safety and sanitation. Since 2003, Dr. Emilia Rico has been an active member of the prestigious International Commission on Food Mycology (ICFM). As a member of the ICFM, she participates in IUMS-ICFM symposia, workshops and outreach programs in developing countries such as Indonesia.
Our Staff
BCN Labs staffs expert sanitarians and consultants that are familiar with food processing, HACCP, GMP, food spoilage, food safety and sanitation programs. They not only solve problems related to food and beverage processing but also design the right sanitation program to avoid future spoilage or pathogen contamination.
Our Consultants
Dr. Rob Samson is the world leading food mycologist and taxonomist. He has been the Secretary General of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) since 2005. He is the Vice Chairman of the IUMS International Commission on Food Mycology (ICFM), the Chairman of the IUMS International Commission on Penicillium and Aspergillus and the Chairman of the IUMS International Commission on Indoor Fungi.
Our Specialty Sanitation Chemicals
BCN Labs has started providing our customers with specialty sanitizing products that have been shown to be very effective in the reduction of mold spoilage including heat-resistant molds (HRM) such as chlorine dioxide in solution (3000 ppm), iodine products (inks, rings, blocks, and gel) among others. Contact us!
Women-Owned
BCN Labs is 100% owned by women and it is a certified women-owned business (WBE) by the Women Business Enterprises National Council (WBENC).
View our current WBENC Certificate for BCN labs.
Contact Us
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