Rob:  Well, ensuring the food we eat is safe is something Oklahoma’s Department of Agriculture does on daily basis.  And as we continue to import more of our food, that work has only grown in importance.
Rob:  With the capitol in the background, construction is well underway on an 11-million dollar facility, where scientists test everything, from the food we eat, to the water we drink.
Terry Peach:  It would be a shame if the new laboratory would not be equipped with state of the art equipment that would be able to keep up with the technology and the fine measurements that are required for food safety.
Rob:  Terry Peach is Oklahoma’s secretary of agriculture and says; once completed, the new laboratory will be state-of-the-art, but the equipment inside, well, not so much.
Sandy Harvana:  All of the parts are obsolete so once things start breaking down we won’t be able to replace its parts.
Rob:  Sandy Harvana tests water samples from around the state on machines well past their projected lifespan.
Mike Talkington:  Some of the machinery that we’re talking about, that we are using now to work in those programs, are 15 to 20 years old.  And the lifespan on a lot of that equipment, that’s purchased today, is in the range of 8 to 10 years.
Rob:  Mike Talkington supervises the agricultural laboratory and says with our growing dependence on food imports, and the continued threat of animal diseases, precise measurements are paramount in protecting Oklahoma.
Talkington:  The technology is there that would allow us to provide much higher confidence in our consumers, for their protection, if we can afford to buy it.
Rob:  And agriculture officials hope to receive additional funding for new equipment, by the time they move into the new facilities, at the end of this year.