Food contact materials (FCM) are materials and products that come into contact with food. They include packaging materials, cookware, kitchenware and machinery. FCM can affect food in various ways, for example, by transferring harmful substances to food, altering taste or smell, or causing deterioration.
Laboratory testing can ensure that FCM comply with the relevant regulations and standards for your target market and do not pose health risks to consumers.
Why is FCM testing necessary?
FCM testing is a vital for ensuring the safety of food and safeguarding public health. It enables:
- Protection from contamination: as FCM are in direct contact with food, they can transfer substances to the food. Testing ensures that no harmful substances migrate from the materials to the food
- Compliance with regulations: various countries and regions have strict regulations in place to ensure FCM meet specific safety standards. Testing is necessary to ensure compliance
- Quality assurance: testing assures packaging manufactures that their products meet quality and safety requirements and allows them to build consumer trust
- Prevention of health risks: by identifying potential hazards, FCM testing prevents health risks associated with consuming contaminated food
Food contact materials testing from SGS
We offer years of experience and extensive expertise in the field of FCM testing. Our state-of-the-art laboratory in Bradford is one of the UK’s primary food contact testing labs. We can test your FCM products for:
- Overall migration testing (OML), to measure the total amount of components transferring from the material to the food
- Specific migration testing (SML), to measure the migration of specific toxic substances
- Sensory testing for taste and smell
- Maximum permitted quantity (QM), to measure the amount of volatile substances in the material
- Lead and cadmium release and lip and rim testing
- Testing for other regulated substances, including PFAS/PFOS, formaldehyde, BPA and melamine
- Other tests, as required by different markets, such as UK, EU, US and Canada
We can test a wide range of FCM products, such as plastics, ceramics, metals, paper, wood, textiles and more. We can also help you with certification, labeling, and documentation.
We are committed to providing our customers with the best service possible, competitive prices and fast turnaround times.