NMI's chemical laboratories in New South Wales have held National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation since 11 June 1956.
This is a recognition of the trusted chemical testing and measurement services they provide. Today, NMI maintains this accreditation across facilities in both New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria.
This work often happens behind the scenes, but it affects many aspects of our daily life.
NATA-accredited chemical measurement:
- helps keep products safe
- supports fair trade
- protects the environment
- strengthens trust in regulations and standards.
Accurate measurement helps keep people safe and supports fair, reliable regulations. Our laboratories specialise in high-precision chemical testing and analysis. The accredited tests:
- detect banned substances in sport
- monitor environmental pollutants
- identify pesticide residues
- help make sure food and medicines are safe.
Maintaining this accreditation for 70 years is rare achievement internationally. It shows long-term scientific excellence and an enduring commitment to quality as technology and regulation have changed over this time. It also shows the strength of Australia's measurement system, which supports international confidence in Australian testing and facilitates trade and cooperation.
As our NSW chemical laboratories mark this milestone in June, we also recognise the scientists, technicians and quality specialists behind this work. Their work helps Australians trust measurements they may never see but rely on every day.
One of these specialist laboratories is the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, which NMI set up in 1995. The lab has changed over time to keep its NATA accreditation and respond to advances in anti-doping science. It has progressed from detecting anabolic agents in urine, to adopting advanced instruments and expanding into human serum testing. These advances improve sensitivity, reliability and efficiency, and enable the laboratory to provide a more complete steroid detection profile.
Together, these changes strengthened the laboratory's ability to support stakeholders and protect the integrity of anti-doping programs. They also show how NATA accreditation can keep pace with new science.
For 70 years, this accredited work has helped protect Australians and build trust in the results NMI's laboratories deliver every day. It shows how precise chemical measurement supports safety, fairness and confidence across many parts of daily life.
