Silliker, an international network of food-safety testing and consulting laboratories, opened its 71,000-sq-ft “Silliker Solution Center” in Crete, Ill., south of Chicago. Officials describe the $14 million facility as the company’s “flagship laboratory for North America.” Silliker hosted more than 300 industry professionals with a ribbon-cutting and tours to see the building’s expanded analytical chemistry capabilities; advanced nutritional chemistry testing for composition and nutritional labeling; increased chemistry testing methods for current and emerging chemical contaminants; and state-of-the-art microbiology testing and serology expertise. The site also features enhanced capabilities for contract research programs, including shelflife and challenge studies, say officials.–Silliker Inc.,www.silliker.com      
Ribbon cutting ceremony