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Central Analytical Services (CAS)

CENTRAL ANALYTICAL SERVICES (CAS)

 

The ability of most Kenyan industries to compete in global markets and participate in international product value chains is often hampered by difficulties in proving compliance with technically sophisticated quality requirements. Successful and sustainable exports to the global marketplace is on compliance with international quality requirements for goods and services. Quality and safety of manufactured products plays a central role in their competitiveness. Most local industries lack the capacity to set up comprehensive quality control laboratories to consistently monitor product quality to meet regulatory, safety and customer specifications due to high capital investment and operational costs. Therefore, they are knocked out of markets due to technical barriers to trade. Internationally recognized laboratory infrastructure helps both domestic and global producers, and consumers to overcome this challenge. It also helps ensure protection of human, animal and plant health and the environment, thus ensuring that products and services meet the triple bottom line aligned to social, environmental and financial considerations.  Therefore, trusted analytical services are necessary for proving the compliance of products and services with regulations and conformity with market requirements.

 Mission of CAS

Promote industrial competitiveness by offering product standardization and quality assurance services using approved methods and standards to assure the quality of industrial goods and services.

 

Services Offered by CAS

  • Analytical and advisory services to industries in water and waste water, food, animal feed, chemicals and allied products (such as soaps,   detergents, and petroleum products), leather, textiles, solid and liquid fuels, and minerals and related materials. CAS utilizes national,   regional and international accredited methods and reference materials to assure the quality of industrial goods and services in order to   enhance competitiveness and productivity of local industries. It also participates in proficiency testing schemes and interlaboratory tests   and ensures continuous professional development of analysts
  • Participate in the development of standards, codes of practice and production guidelines for industrial products.
  • CAS collaborates with other research centres in KIRDI - Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (IMB-RC), Food Technology      Research Centre (FT-RC) and Energy Resources and Energy Efficiency Research Centre (EREE-RC), Environmental Sustainability and   Climate Change Research Centre (ESSCC-RC), Engineering and Information and Communication Technology Research Centre (EICT-   RC), Industrial Materials Research Centre (IM-RC) – to extend the scope of testing and analytical capabilities and competencies.

Quality Commitment of CAS

  • To provide timely, reliable, quality and competitive testing and analytical services.
  • To implement an effective quality assurance system that guarantees consistent quality to clients and continuous improvement of laboratory services.
  • To observe highest level of integrity and confidentiality of test results.
  • To comply with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.
  • To seek, respect, value and use customer feedback positively.

Key Facilities in CAS

CAS has specialized laboratories for testing and analysis of food, feeds, water, waste water, soil and minerals, chemicals, cosmetics, soaps and detergents, and other related matrices. Some equipment in the laboratories include ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography, fourier-transform near infrared spectrophotometer, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, uv-vis spectrophotometer, bomb calorimeter, automatic chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand measurement systems, kjiedahl system, fibretech system, CIE-Lab color meter, texture analyzer, viscograph, farinograph and extensograph.