Murray-Brown Laboratories

What Murray-Brown Laboratories does

Murray-Brown Laboratories is a Denver, Colorado-based accredited analytical testing laboratory founded in 2007 that provides third-party testing services to regulated product manufacturers. The company's core service is food safety testing, with sub-offerings spanning pesticide residue detection, mycotoxin analysis, and PCR-based molecular pathogen detection using polymerase chain reaction technology. It also serves adjacent regulated verticals including nutraceutical and dietary supplement companies, hemp-derived product manufacturers, and producers of kava and ketamine products requiring purity and potency verification. Customers use these services primarily to meet FDA and USDA regulatory compliance requirements and to manage product quality risk.

The underlying technology is grounded in conventional analytical chemistry and molecular biology — gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and PCR instrumentation — rather than proprietary software platforms. The company described itself as a 'nationally-recognized food testing laboratory,' and its competitive positioning rested on domain specialization (particularly in hemp, kava, and ketamine testing) and the precision of its molecular detection capabilities. No software products, APIs, or digital platforms were disclosed; the offering is service-based, delivered through contractual laboratory engagements.

The business model is B2B and quote-based, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The company served multiple verticals — food manufacturers and processors (primary), nutraceutical companies, and controlled-substance product manufacturers — indicating a diversified customer base across regulated industries. In February 2026, Murray-Brown Laboratories was acquired by SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company, as part of SGS's Strategy 27 initiative to double North American sales between 2023 and 2027 in response to stricter FDA and USDA food safety regulations.

Name

Murray-Brown Laboratories

Legal name

Murray-Brown Laboratories

Website

https://mb-labs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residue & Contaminant Testing (Pesticides, Vet Drugs, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals) (AFALAAAF), Environmental Monitoring & Hygiene Verification (Swabs, ATP, Pathogen Monitoring) (AFALAAAE)

Keywords

• Food safety testing
• Analytical chemistry
• Microbial testing
• Pesticide detection
• Pathogen detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Core offering

Murray-Brown Laboratories is an accredited analytical testing laboratory that provides food safety, supplement, hemp, and environmental sample testing. Its services include microbial analysis, pesticide and mycotoxin detection via analytical chemistry, PCR-based molecular pathogen detection, and specialized potency and purity testing for hemp, kava, ketamine, and nutraceutical products.

Product overview

Murray-Brown Laboratories is a Denver-based food testing laboratory offering a comprehensive portfolio of analytical and microbial testing services. The core offering encompasses food safety testing, with specialized sub-products including pesticide and mycotoxin detection, PCR-based molecular pathogen detection, and specialty testing for hemp, kava, and ketamine products. The laboratory also provides nutraceutical testing services, all of which were acquired by SGS to expand its North American food safety and nutraceutical testing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Testing Laboratory Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SGScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Murray-Brown Laboratories was acquired by SGS, the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company. The acquisition adds advanced microbial and analytical chemistry capabilities including pesticide and mycotoxin detection, while expanding SGS's geographic footprint for PCR and pathogen detection technologies across North America. The deal supports SGS's Strategy 27, which targets doubling North American sales between 2023 and 2027 in response to stricter FDA and USDA regulations driving demand for food safety testing.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS SA: Parent company and the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification firm. Directly comparable food and nutraceutical testing services across a global footprint; serves as both Murray-Brown's acquirer and its primary competitive benchmark.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in food, feed, and environmental testing with extensive North American lab network. Closest direct competitor in food safety analytical and microbial testing services.
• Intertek: Major TIC firm offering food, agri, and supplement testing services worldwide. Comparable in serving regulated B2B customers needing analytical chemistry and microbiology.
• ALS Limited: Global testing services provider with food, environmental, and life sciences divisions. Comparable in offering pesticide, mycotoxin, and microbial testing for food and environmental samples.
• Element Materials Technology: Global TIC platform with life sciences and food testing capabilities. Comparable in B2B testing model serving regulated industries with technical analytical services.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC company with significant food and agri-commodities testing operations in North America. Competes for the same compliance-driven food manufacturer testing contracts.

Direct peers

• NSF International: Provides testing, certification, and auditing for food, supplements, and dietary ingredients. Overlaps strongly with Murray-Brown's nutraceutical and supplement testing segment.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Specialized food safety and nutritional testing services provider serving food manufacturers and processors globally. Highly comparable in scope of microbial and chemical food testing offerings.
• Pace Analytical: U.S.-based commercial testing laboratory network with strong food and environmental testing practices. Closest mid-sized U.S. peer for food safety analytical chemistry and microbiology services.

Emerging players

• Cannabis Testing Laboratories (e.g., ACS Laboratory): Specialized cannabis and hemp testing labs with comparable potency, purity, and contaminant testing capabilities. Direct peer for Murray-Brown's niche hemp/controlled-substance testing line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/murray-brown-laboratories-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Murray-Brown Laboratories