USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Midwestern Laboratory

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Midwestern Laboratory is an 84,000-square-foot, single-story, state-of-the-art facility. Designed by Hoefer Welker, it represents a significant milestone in FSIS’s commitment to public health and food safety. It was developed in close collaboration with the agency to ensure operational efficiencies, sustainable practices and the integration of the most advanced scientific technologies to address both current and future food safety challenges.

Located in the northwest region of the St. Louis metro area and near the University of Missouri – St. Louis campus, the facility includes microbiology and chemistry labs, a processing center, a large receiving area and adjacent sample prep laboratory, as well as administrative offices. The new lab coordinates and conducts laboratory services in support of the agency’s farm-to-table strategies for food safety in meat, poultry, fish and egg products.

It is home to approximately 60 employees across three branches:

• Administration: Overseeing testing, quality control, procurement and safety
• Chemistry: Conducting analyses for veterinary drugs and environmental contaminants
• Microbiology: Performing testing for foodborne pathogens, including Salmonella, the top seven E. coli STEC strains, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter species and sanitary indicators. The lab will also conduct whole genome DNA sequencing on positive isolates.

McCarthy’s self-perform teams played a major role in the success of this project, including:

• Concrete foundations, vertical walls and storm shelter slab
• Structural steel installation, exterior wood blocking and general site features
• Interior general works (doors, casework, accessories, wall protection)
• Lab equipment installation (walk-in coolers, bio safety cabinets, sterilizers)
• Prefabricated partitions (with trained installers certified by Technion)
• Small appliances, shelving systems and racking installation
• Civil scope: mass excavation, stormwater systems, utilities and bio-retention ponds

Strong performance by this small, high-performing team helped deliver an excellent outcome, both operationally and financially.