Laboratory Mission

The mission of the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory is to provide the analytical data to assure quality, labeling, and safety of fertilizers, animal feeds, human foods, pesticides, and petroleum products in Mississippi. It performs chemical analyses of those products for the information and regulatory action of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC), Bureau of Plant Industry, (MDAC/BPI), and State Department of Health and Department of Marine Resources. These agencies perform field sampling, corrective field action, and follow-up enforcement on misuse of and defective or mislabeled products. In addition to these regulatory activities, MSCL checks private water supplies, provides assistance to industry, performs analysis of toxic chemicals for farmers, hospitals, doctors, veterinarians, law enforcement agencies, and provides other analyses of interest to our citizens. Under Mississippi’s amended Food Law of 1997, MSCL has been given primary responsibility for providing chemical, physical and microbiological analytical services in support of food regulatory programs. The cooperative effort involves three other State agencies, the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and the Department of Marine Resources, which all have regulatory authority in specified areas of food protection. MSCL also conducts research on scientific problems of chemical or biological nature which are of importance to our State and its people, and develops and validates new methodologies and techniques for our
Laboratory.

Laboratory Purpose

Under Mississippi Code, Title 57, Chapter 21-9, the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory was established for the following purposes:

(a) To provide analytical, chemical, and bacteriological services for regulatory control, in cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, of the quality of feeds, oil-seed meals, fertilizers, and economic poisons offered for sale in Mississippi. The State Chemist shall also share responsibility for labeling and standards of such goods with these agencies.

(b) To conduct chemical, bacteriological, and physical tests of foods sold in the state, regulating the quality and labeling of such foods.

(c) To conduct chemical and physical tests on petroleum products offered for sale in the state.

(d) To provide chemically oriented consultation, problem-solving services and supporting analytical chemistry for other state agencies such as the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the State Geologist, the Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Economic and Community Development, the University Research Center, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Crime Laboratory, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the Cooperative Extension Service, and the Agriculture and Forestry experimental Station as funds and resources permit.

(e) To provide chemical consultation, toxicological analyses, and scientific services for the solution of problems of individual citizens and firms of the State who are engaged in agricultural or industrial endeavors furthering the economic growth or development of Mississippi.

(f) To conduct research and development programs associated with the discharge of these responsibilities.

(g) To carry out any program or duty which may be authorized or delegated to it by future legislation.