Food Packaging Testing & Food Contact Materials (FCM) Compliance

Food packaging and food contact materials (FCM) play a critical role in food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance. Substances such as monomers, additives, processing residues, or contaminants may migrate from packaging into food under certain conditions. The level of migration depends on the type of material, the nature of the food, and the intended conditions of use.

ALS provides comprehensive food packaging testing and migration testing services to support compliance with Thai and international food contact regulations. Our services help manufacturers demonstrate safety, verify regulatory conformity, and reduce compliance risk before product launch.

A person wearing a laboratory coat uses a pipette to handle samples next to a large blue analytical instrument inside a laboratory equipped with scientific workstations and devices.

Migration Testing

Migration testing evaluates the transfer of substances from food packaging materials into food or food simulants under defined temperature and time conditions.

Overall Migration Testing

Overall Migration Testing measures the total quantity of non-volatile substances migrating from packaging into food simulants to assess material suitability for intended use.

Food simulants used include:

  • 10% Ethanol – for aqueous foods
  • Heavy metals and toxic elements including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic, and other regulated metals
  • 20% and 50% Ethanol – for alcoholic or fatty food types
  • 3% Acetic Acid – for acidic foods
  • Vegetable oil – for fatty foods

Testing is performed in accordance with relevant international standards and regulatory frameworks.

Specific Migration Testing

Specific Migration Testing determines the migration of individual substances from packaging materials using advanced analytical techniques such as:

  • ICP-OES
  • ICP-MS
  • GC-MS
  • Histamine
  • HPLC

Examples of substances analysed include:

  • Bisphenol A (BPA)
  • Heavy metals (Ba, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Zn)
  • Vinyl chloride
  • Acrylonitrile
  • Styrene

Chemical Characterisation of Food Packaging

Chemical characterisation assesses the chemical composition of food contact materials to evaluate compliance and safety. Testing may include:

  • Residual monomers
  • Additives and plasticisers
  • Processing aids
  • Organic compounds associated with plastics, paper, metals, and composite materials

This supports regulatory submissions and technical documentation requirements.

Metals Analysis in Packaging Materials

Metals and trace elements in food packaging are analysed to assess contamination risk and migration potential.

Testing is performed using high-sensitivity techniques including:

  • ICP-OES
  • ICP-MS

Methods reference recognised standards such as ISO, AOAC, and EU regulatory frameworks where applicable.

Microbiological Assessment of Packaging

Microbiological testing evaluates the hygienic condition of food packaging materials, particularly for applications requiring high cleanliness standards. This supports quality assurance programs and contamination control in food production environments.

PFAS Testing in Food Packaging

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging contaminants of global regulatory concern. PFAS may be present in certain packaging materials and can migrate into food. ALS Thailand provides PFAS testing using high-sensitivity LC-MS/MS techniques capable of detecting trace-level concentrations. Our PFAS analysis supports compliance with international food contact material regulations and market-specific requirements.

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