Showcasing ‘Why great grain matters’ in our daily lives
9th June, Sydney – To celebrate World Accreditation Day, The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) has highlighted the vital importance of accredited laboratory testing in global trade in the video story “Why great grain matters”.
World Accreditation Day will be celebrated on June 9 with the 2023 theme “Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade”.
Accreditation plays a hidden but crucially important role to Australian exporters as it allows their products to be tested once, accepted everywhere with NATA being a signatory to an international Mutual Recognition Arrangement with over 100 countries, helping to “grease the wheels” of trade for importers and exporters.
Accreditation offers Australians the assurance that they can have confidence in the products and services they use every day have been competently tested and are safe and fit for purpose.
All Australians rely on accreditation every day, often without realising it. Whether at the supermarket, with the food and drinks we eat, at the pumps or in their homes.
“Why great grains matters” showcases the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre (AEGIC), a NATA-accredited laboratory for over 70 years, work on our most important export products categories, grain, as well as the important role of accreditation.
Watch “Why great grains matter” here.
NATA accreditation helps AEGIC constantly improve, while providing trust for its customers and the industry that they all can rely on data from its accredited laboratory testing. Which is important as that data is used to make decisions about international trade and breeding programs going into the export market.
NATA’s role is to make sure that the experts at organisations like AEGIC can do what they say they can, while adhering to international standards.
Domestic customers also benefit as accredited data from AEGIC’s laboratory is used in the nutrition panels (informing consumers on key dietary components of products), on a wide range of grain food products; informing consumers on key dietary components of products.
Jennifer Evans, NATA CEO and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) said: “It’s important we all celebrate World Accreditation Day. Accreditation and trade are bound together by trust – trust is the essential component of trading relationships, whether they are conducted within national borders or with other economies.
“World economies have long relied on an integrated system of standards, metrology and accredited conformity assessment to create a quality infrastructure. This integrated system supports trade by ensuring that consumers, businesses and regulators procuring goods and services get what they expect.
“Grain is no exception. Without accreditation we wouldn’t be able to take for granted the tasty fresh bread every morning or the noodles we love in our Ramen. NATA has been the hidden safety net of Australia for over 75 years.”
