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Packaging & migration testing

Why food packaging testing?

There is increasing regulation associated with food packaging and materials that come into contact with the food product during transport and storage.

Food packaging has the potential to contaminate or spoil food as molecules from food packaging can migrate into particular food matrix. This extent to which a substance migrates depends on the nature of the migrant (the chemical), the nature of the material from which it can be released, and the nature of the food with which it comes into contact.

Migration testing with ALS

ALS offers overall migration testing to determine the quantity of substance that may migrate from food contact materials to foodstuffs, and specific migration testing to determine the amount of a specific component that migrates from food contact material to the food during contact. Specific migration tests are performed with multiple techniques including ICP-OES, GC-MS and HPLC.

Overall migration tests

The food packaging or article is tested for its suitability before use by employing food simulants that are intended to mimic the migration properties of different categories of foods. There are a range of food simulants used in food migration tests including 10% Ethanol, 20% Ethanol, 50% Ethanol, 3% Acetic acid and Vegetable Oil.

  • 10% Ethanol – for aqueous foods that have a hydrophilic character
  • 20% Ethanol – for alcoholic foods with an alcohol content of up to 20% and those foods containing a relevant amount of organic ingredients that render the food more lipophilic.
  • 50% Ethanol - for alcoholic foods with an alcohol content of above 20% and for oil in water emulsions.
  • 3% Acetic acid – for hydrophilic foods which have a pH below 4.5.
  • Vegetable oil - for foods that have a lipophilic character.

Specific migration tests include:

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

ALS offers a wide range of food testing services

Pesticides

Our team has the knowledge and experience to analyze and test for wide variety of pesticides.

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Food safety & quality testing

Our extensive industry experience and knowledge of the tests required ensures compliance to international regulations and standards.

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Technical experts

Our subject matter experts and technical teams deliver the right solutions to our clients.

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