State's food inspection lab receives expansion funding

The state is expanding the lab that investigates food in suspected disease outbreaks.

The Department of Agriculture's lab that tests meat, dairy products and other food for potential health threats received $250,000 in new funding from the federal government.

Heidi Kassenborg, director of dairy and food inspection in for the Department of Agriculture, said the money will allow the department to hire new staff and buy equipment.

"This new money will work really well with the funding we got last year for a rapid response team, which was more of the traceback and inspection components of a food borne illness outbreak," Kassenborg said.

The St. Paul lab is one the largest in the nation's so-called Food Emergency Response Network. The labs set up to help track down food-borne illness across the country. Minnesota is a designated regional center for dealing with food-borne illnesses in 15 states.