Mérieux NutriSciences is acquiring Allabor Laboratorios Ltda (Allabor) in Brazil and Labser Laboratorio de Analisis y de Servicios avanzados Limitada (Labser) in Chile. With these new acquisitions, Mérieux NutriSciences expands into Chile and has now 21 laboratories in South America strengthening its position of major network of private analytical laboratories on the continent.

Founded in 2006, Allabor is located in Toledo, Parana State, Brazil and offers food testing, water and environmental services as well as residues analyses. Employing close to 200 people, the company provides food microbiology and physical-chemistry services with a strong and recognized expertise on poultry, meat and water.

Labser was founded in 2001 as part of Veterquimica, a feed and veterinary business, and provides microbiology and chemistry analyses for the food, aquaculture, dairy, mollusks, livestock and agro industry. Labser operates a lab in Rancagua, in the O’Higgins region, benefiting from a 3,000 square mete site, with a specific area dedicated to the determination of dioxins, furans as well as PCBs, and a second lab in Puerto Montt, in Los Lagos region.

Philippe Sans, President and CEO of Mérieux NutriSciences commented: “These investments go along our strategy to expand in high growth potential market, and Chile is definitely one of them. Moreover, the addition of Allabor to our Brazilian network of laboratories will allow Mérieux NutriSciences to expand its capabilities especially for the growing export market.”

Roberto Arrieta Rex, CEO of Veterquimica added: “We are proud to establish this partnership with such a renowned company. We share the common values of Excellence and Quality and I strongly believe that our partnership will allow Labser to rapidly evolve in Chile.”

“This acquisition will allow Allabor to extend services to a wider range of customers while benefiting from Mérieux NutriSciences expertise and valued quality system,” said Walter F. Neto, CEO of Allabor. “Merging Allabor with Mérieux NutriSciences will reinforce our organization to support the Brazilian food industry with the largest scope of services, the strongest network of laboratories and the densest logistic organization,” added Mauricio F. Macedo Technical Director of Allabor.

Over the coming months, Allabor and Labser will be transitioned into the Mérieux NutriSciences network and their respective 200 and 172 employees will join the other 6,000 talents of the group. Chile becomes the twenty-first country where Mérieux NutriSciences operates in the world.