The food analysis laboratory of Zamorano (LAAZ) was established on 1992 inside of the Zamorano University and belongs to Agro industry Career (AGI).The LAAZ building has a total area of 385 m2. The laboratory has 11 rooms for analytical procedures with a total area of 183m2, a classroom for 15 students and 5 warehouses of reagents and others materials. Also, it has wireless internet access in all the building and online direct access to AOAC and AOCS official methods of analysis.
The LAAZ is the most complete analytical laboratory of Central America for measurement of physical properties (color, texture, viscosity) and chemical compounds of food for human and animals; and for quality control of biofuels (biodiesel and ethanol) in accordance to ASTM standards . It is the only laboratory in the region capable to perform all required analysis for nutritional labeling according to the US NLEA 2006 and the directive 90/466/CEE from the European Union.
In the LAAZ students of AGI perform laboratory practices for the food chemistry and food analysis classes. Also, the students have unrestricted access to perform physical and chemical analytical procedures required for their tesis under supervision of two permanents instructors.
The LAAZ is governed by a quality system based on ISO 17025 standard. December of 2012 is the planned date for accreditation of 15 analytical procedures for nutritional labeling. Currently, the LAAZ provides analytical services for nutritional labeling, quality control and shelf stability to the Central America Agro-industry supported by inter-laboratory proficiency testing with AOAC, PRIDAA and the Swedish Government.
The LAAZ is also the main research center for quality of food and biofuels in Honduras. Since 2004 it collaborates with Bean Improvement Proyect on preservation of culinary quality, with the Millennium Account Project on quality mapping of coffee and cacao in Honduras, with the Jatropha-Syngenta Project on production and quality control of biofuels and with IHTC Project on nutrition in the Valley of Yeguare.
Our vision for 2015 is to make LAAZ the laboratory of reference in Central America for food and biofuels.
