Bactochem

Bactochem is an independent analytical and biological testing laboratory established in 1977, widely regarded as one of the leading laboratories in Israel. Operating as a member of the Chemovil Group, a division of Feller Holdings, the company is headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, and provides a comprehensive range of testing, analysis, sampling, and quality-assurance services spanning microbiology, chemistry, phytopathology, and molecular biology. Over nearly five decades, Bactochem has built deep expertise serving the food and beverage, environmental, agricultural, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, medical cannabis, and chemicals sectors, offering both regulatory compliance testing and research-driven analytical work to private industry and government-regulated entities alike.

Bactochem's food and beverage testing practice covers a wide spectrum of analysis for manufacturers, importers, exporters, and retailers. Services include microbiological testing for pathogenic organisms such as Salmonella, Listeria, and Escherichia coli; food composition and nutritional content analysis; vitamin quantification in food and pharmaceutical matrices; and compliance testing for product labeling requirements. The laboratory is officially authorized by Israel's Ministry of Economy and Trade to perform testing on wine and alcoholic beverages, providing a formal regulatory testing pathway for domestic and export beverage producers.

The laboratory operates what is recognized as the largest and most advanced pesticide residue testing facility in Israel, providing multi-residue screening and quantitation of hundreds of pesticide compounds on agricultural crops, processed foods, and environmental matrices. Analytical methods employ GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS instrumentation capable of detecting trace-level residues across a broad pesticide panel. Beyond pesticide residues, Bactochem conducts analysis for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — emerging environmental contaminants of significant regulatory concern in food and water — and carries out pesticide residue decay studies on agricultural products over time, supporting growers and agrochemical companies in understanding residue dissipation kinetics for registration and export compliance purposes.

Environmental testing is a core discipline at Bactochem, encompassing chemical and microbiological analysis of drinking water, swimming pool water, wastewater, sewage, and surface and groundwater. The laboratory performs soil, sludge, and wastewater analysis in compliance with the requirements of Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection, covering the full range of environmental quality monitoring parameters. Air quality testing is also offered. A dedicated logistics department with twelve to fourteen government-certified field samplers distributed nationwide enables Bactochem to conduct on-site collection of environmental, food, and agricultural samples under controlled and fully traceable chain-of-custody conditions, an important differentiator for clients requiring compliant sampling as well as analysis.

Bactochem's agricultural and phytopathological (plant health diagnostics) services are designed to support crop producers, plant breeders, exporters, and agricultural regulators. The company carries out plant disease diagnostics and phytopathology assessments, identifying fungal, bacterial, viral, and other plant pathogens using both classical and molecular techniques. PCR-based molecular biology capabilities are applied for detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and for pathogen identification in food and agricultural samples. These capabilities help exporters meet phytosanitary and food-safety import requirements of international trading partners.

For the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, Bactochem provides testing across the entire supply chain from incoming raw materials through to finished products, addressing both safety and regulatory compliance requirements. Services include microbiological quality testing, chemical composition and purity analysis, heavy metals determination by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and the LAL test (Limulus Amebocyte Lysate assay) for bacterial endotoxin detection in pharmaceutical preparations. Medical cannabis testing is a licensed service area: Bactochem holds authorization from Israel's Ministry of Health to test cannabis flowers and finished cannabis products against applicable regulatory specifications, reflecting the laboratory's standing as a ministry-trusted analytical partner.

The Rehovot facility spans approximately 1,250 square meters and is equipped with a broad array of modern analytical instrumentation including GC-MS/MS systems with multiple detector configurations, HPLC and LC-MS/MS platforms, ICP-OES and AAS for elemental and heavy-metals analysis, PCR equipment for molecular diagnostics and GMO testing, and a laboratory information management system (LIMS) for sample tracking and data integrity. Specialized capabilities extend to jet fuel (DSL aviation fuel) analysis and detection of counterfeit or adulterated beverages. The scientific staff comprises approximately 36 chemists (three holding doctoral degrees), eight microbiologists (two with doctorates), three phytodiagnosticians (one with a doctorate), three molecular biology specialists (one with a doctorate), twelve certified field samplers, and ten administrative and management personnel.

Since its founding, Bactochem has established itself as a trusted testing partner across both private industry and government-regulated sectors in Israel. Its governmental authorizations — from the Ministry of Economy and Trade for wine and alcoholic beverage testing and from the Ministry of Health for medical cannabis — reflect a high level of regulatory confidence in the laboratory's methods, staff competency, and quality management practices. The integrated offering of laboratory testing, field sampling by certified samplers nationwide, scientific consultation, and quality assurance advisory services positions Bactochem as a comprehensive, full-service testing and compliance partner for clients in the food, environmental, agricultural, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries across Israel and the broader region.