Company founder Steve Gardner said: "Given the concerns expressed by consumers about food safety, a new fast analytical technology that provides top quality results in a very short time could go some way to reinforce customer confidence in the quality of fresh produce being sold. Growers and retailers could use such testing to create a sales advantage."

The new company is based at East Malling in the southeast England development agency (SEEDA) enterprise hub. QTS Analytical has been developed at the SEEDA hub after winning r&d grant for the idea, which helped to fund the technology advancement. The SEEDA network gives start-up companies both support and business mentoring to assist them with the critical early stages of creating a business.

The new testing technology can be used to test pesticides in a variety of areas including fresh produce, soils, water, and environmental analysis. The company has applied to patent the new technology and has been given UKAS accreditation for testing fresh produce.