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Services >> Research & Development >> Problem Solving & Special Investigations
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Special Investigations & Foreign Material ID Testing Services

Here to assist with all of your food testing needs.

The Eurofins network of laboratories differentiates itself from those offering only routine services through our non-routine and specialty testing capabilities.

With over a century of experience, we can solve complex problems in all our areas of specialization. Our capabilities can be tailored to meet the specific needs of our client.

In addition to our routine service offerings, we specialize in customized analyses for custom projects, product complaints, compliance, and legal or insurance purposes. Our capabilities can be tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients.

 

Non-Routine & Specialty Testing

The Eurofins network of laboratories differentiates itself from those offering only routine services through our non-routine and specialty testing capabilities.

With over a century of experience, we can solve complex problems in all our areas of specialization.  
Our capabilities can be tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients.

In addition to our routine service offerings, we specialize in customized analyses for custom projects, product complaints, compliance, and legal or insurance purposes. Our capabilities can be tailored to meet the specific needs of our clients.

Foreign Materials & Product Complaints

Our laboratories lead the industry in identifying foreign materials, contaminants, off odor problems and solving challenges in the food, beverage, dietary supplement, OTC and ingredient sectors.

Whether it is trying to figure out “What is this?” or "What’s that smell?", we can help with product failures, their causes, and potential solutions.

When the main component of the material is not clear, questions about its suitability or function cannot be addressed.

We can help.

Our extensive resources, instruments, equipment, proprietary techniques, experience & know how from thousands of successful investigations, we can utilize state of the art technologies including but not limited to SEM-EDX, FTIR, NMR, ICP-MS, GC-MS, LC-MS to solve the most challenging problems quickly.

We also perform high level comparative analyses using our spectral libraries with over 250,000 FTIR and RAMAN spectra for matches and over 300,000 GC-MS spectra for matches including NIST library, comprehensive Wiley flavors and fragrance library.

Let us find your solution.

  • Contamination Studies
  • Foreign or Unknown Material Characterization & Identification
  • Off-Flavor, Off-Odor Analysis
  • Product Failure Investigation & Root Cause Analysis
  • Wine, Spirit, and Beverage Failure Analysis
  • Particle Identification & Characterization
  • Product Recall Support and Crisis Management
  • Legal Projects, Litigation Support, Insurance Claim Support, Expert Witness Services
  • Microbiological Spoilage Investigation and Root Cause Analysis
Packaging Compliance & Failure

We offer packaging testing, compliance with US FDA/CFR and EU PACKAGING GUIDANCE and expert advice for each stage of your product cycle.

Having worked with most major brands in the industry, we have amassed a wide scope of services related to Packaging.

Whether you are looking for regulatory compliance and do not know where to start or chemical testing to ensure your product is safe. We have you covered.

Our services include:

  • Extractable and Leachable Testing
  • Food Contact Testing, including global regulatory compliance
  • Packaging Failure Investigation
  • Legal Projects, Litigation Support, Insurance Claim Support, Expert Witness Services
R&D Method Support & Consulting

For our clients working in regulated environments, including GMP and GLP compliance, we develop and validate analytical methods. Our team of experts can collaborate with your team to create custom methods whatever the situation.

In most cases, these methods will require validation to be compliant with applicable Quality System Regulations (QSRs), relevant ISO standards, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

Our team will ensure that our methods of analysis are compliant with all standards that apply and can execute a comprehensive validation based on these standards and internationally accepted validation guidance documents, such as the ICH Harmonized Tripartite Guideline, Validation of Analytical Procedures.

Hourly or firm bid consultation rates can be quickly provided once we discuss your challenges and requirements.

We can test to all major compendia including USP, FCC, NF, EP, BP, JP, JECFA, etc.

  • Method Development, Method Optimization and Method Feasibility, Method Validation, Method Transfer)
  • De-Formulation (Reverse Engineering)
  • Unknown Chromatographic Peak and Impurity Identification
  • GLP and cGMP Studies and Validations
  • Consulting Services and Training
  • Active Ingredients in OTCs, Hand Sanitizers
  • Legal Projects, Litigation Support, Insurance Claim Support, Expert Witness Services

 

Instrument Capabilities

We have an extensive network of instrumentation to leverage. Below is a list of our most frequently leveraged instrumentation, however this list is not all comprehensive. If you are interested in a specific technology, please reach out to speak further with one of our experts. Our team of experts will work with you to select the best instrument and method for your needs.

Chromatography
  • Gas Chromatography (GC) with FID, TCD detection. 
  • Gas Chromatography with Mass Selective Detection (GCMS), GC-MSMS, including Liquid Injection, Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME), Headspace, Dynamic Headspace (ITEX) 
  • High, Ultrahigh Liquid Chromatography (HPLC/UPLC) including DAD/UV, RI, ELSD, Fluorescence detection. 
  • Liquid Chromatography with MS, MSMS detection 
  • High Resolution LCMS (Orbitrap) 
  • Ion Chromatography with Conductivity Detection 
Spectroscopy
  • Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Analysis, including microFTIR Microscopy. 
  • Raman Spectroscopy, including micro–Raman Microscopy 
  • Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectrophotometry 
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) 
Microscopy
  • Keyence High resolution Digital Microscopy
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy (EDX Detection)
  • Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)
  • Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM)
Elemental
  • Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) with Mass Spectrometry Detection (ICPMS)
  • ICP with Optical Emission Spectrometry Detection ICP-OES Testing
  • Flame Atomic Absorption
  • EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray)
  • LIBs (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy)
  • XRD (X-ray Diffraction)
Thermal Analysis
  • DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry 
  • TGA (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis) 
  • Karl Fischer Analysis (Volumetric and Coulometric) 
  • Acid/Base, Redox, Precipitation, and Surfactant Titrations 
Miscellaneous
  • Refractometer 
  • Densitometer 
  • Brookfield Viscometer & Rheometer 
  • Nephelometer (Turbidity) 
  • Polarimeter  
  • Karl Fischer (Volumetric & Coulometric)  
  • Flashpoint (small scale closed cup) 
  • Plate Readers (for Immunoassays) 
  • Ion Selective Electrode 
  • Autotitraters 
  • Particle Size by Laser Diffraction 
  • Particle Size by Rotap Sieve 

Your specialized investigations partner in food product testing.  Let's find your solution.

 

Learn more about specialized investigation testing