Contaminant Testing Services

Your experts in contaminant testing.

We offer the most complete array of assays to test for the presence of contaminants in food, feed, and supplement products

Through intricate residue testing, we can help you minimize the risk of non-compliance in relation to your raw ingredients, semi-manufactured foods, and final products. Our global network of food scientists and laboratories ensures that we have expertise in all principal segments of the food chain and a local presence, wherever you are.

You can trust us to update you on the increasingly complex mix of local and national legislation and voluntary agreements regulating the permitted quantities of restricted substances in food products. In addition, we detect and identify food-borne diseases and chemical, microbiological or physical food hazards in order to reduce their presence and ensure your products meet the appropriate guidelines.

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Filth & Extraneous Matter Testing

In the highly specialized field of extraneous material analysis, Eurofins laboratories is uniquely qualified in the detection and identification of the physical contaminants of food. Our scientists are skilled, adept, and experienced at all types of filth and extraneous matter isolation and identification ranging from light to heavy. We work with every form of foreign material identification including biological contaminants.

Light and Heavy Filth Analysis of Raw Material and Finished Product is routinely performed on candy, capsicum, cereal, cheeses, cocoa powder, and chocolate products, coffee, cookies, corn chips, cornmeal, crab meat, cream cheese, egg products, flour, fruit (dried), gum, hot sauce and salsa, mayonnaise, meat products, mushrooms (canned and dried), nuts and nut meals, pasta products, raisins, rice sticks, salt, shrimp, spices, sugar, tomatoes (canned), tomato products, tortillas, tuna (canned), excipients, and fine chemicals.

Contaminants Detected by Light Filth Analysis include insect fragments, animal hair, whole insects, and other extraneous material such as feather barbules, mites, metal, rubber, plastic, and paint chips.
Contaminants Detected by Heavy Filth Analysis are sand, grit, stones, glass, and metal

Macro Filth Analysis is performed when:

Looking for insect damage, mold, excreta, and other foreign matter
Follows commodity specific sampling plans

Identification of Foreign Material is typically performed for:

Complaints originating from retail consumers-legal/insurance
Internal QC physical inspection work-in-process, finished product ingredients, and excipients

FDA Detention Related Analysis for compliance with FD&C 402 (a) (3) & (4) includes:

Light filth
Macroanalysis

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Heavy Metals Testing

Trace element and heavy metal testing in food, feed, dietary supplements, and beverages is paramount for determining the toxicity of a product and understanding its interactions with other compounds. Eurofins laboratories is the world leader in heavy metal and trace element analysis with multiple locations and a comprehensive portfolio of methods dedicated to the detection of trace metals. Our technical expertise and market knowledge in various industries allow our clients to verify compliance with the latest regulations in each country and market, both for raw materials and finished goods.

Our state-of-the-art laboratories employ the latest analytical technologies that provide the robustness and sensitivity needed for low-level detection of trace metals, both for identification and quantification purposes.

Primary Trace Metal Elements Detected:

Heavy Metals Package: Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury
Inorganic Arsenic
Chromium, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Nickel, Selenium & Iodine.

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Mycotoxin Testing Services

Certain molds commonly found on agricultural products have the capacity to form chemical substances that are harmful when eaten by humans or animals. These chemical metabolites are called mycotoxins, a term derived from "myco" meaning fungus and "toxin" meaning poison. Mycotoxins are associated with crops that have been stressed during the growth cycle or during storage. Such conditions include cool damp summers, late wet harvests, drought and environmentally stressful conditions and poor storage after harvests, even at moisture levels as low as 16%. Mycotoxins can remain in food and feed long after the fungus that produced them has died; therefore, toxins can be present even when there are no visible signs of mold or fungus. A proactive monitoring program for agricultural commodities should always include testing for mycotoxins to ensure the safety of a product. Aflatoxin is a commonly found and particularly toxic mycotoxin, even at very low concentrations, and its B1 form is the most toxic.

Mycotoxins are found in raw cereal crops, fruits, nuts, dairy products, spices, teas, and botanicals. Since these products often are used as major ingredients in many foods and feeds, analytical methods are tailored to accommodate all these matrices. Global regulations for controlling the common mycotoxins include many of these products. Our Eurofins network of laboratories can perform testing for a wide variety of mycotoxins and ochratoxins in foods and feeds including:

Cereal Grains, Flour, and Feeds by ELISA methods:

ELISA tests are approved by USDA for most cereal grain products and many feeds. They can be performed in shorter time periods than HPLC tests and provide relatively accurate screening results. Several ELISA kits have AOAC or AOACRI approval. ELISA techniques are based on a coupling reaction between a specific mycotoxin and antibodies specific to those mycotoxins. If an ELISA assay produces a positive result it can be confirmed using HPLC or LC-MSMS methods.

Foods and Feeds by HPLC methods:

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) methods with fluorescence detection for analyzing aflatoxins B1 B2 G1 G2, aflatoxin M1, and ochratoxin A are the most commonly used on a variety of foods. They are based on AOAC and other industry-approved methods. These methods are capable of lower quantitation limits than ELISA methods, capable of Aflatoxin speciation for the most toxic B1 form, and are less susceptible to interferences in foods than ELISA. Many global regulations and commodity trading limits for Aflatoxin and ochratoxin are based on HPLC-Fluorescence methods.

Dairy Products by HPLC methods: Aflatoxin M1

Fruits and Vegetables, Nuts, Baby Food, Coffee, Cocoa, Beverages, Spices, and Botanicals by HPLC Methods: Aflatoxin B1 B2 G1 G2 | Ochratoxin A

Foods and Feeds by UPLC-MSMS Methods:

Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MSMS) methods are the most sensitive and selective methods available for other mycotoxins such as the fumonisins, Vomitoxin, T-2/HT-2, Nivalenol, and Patulin. The methods include rugged extraction, cleanup, and analysis by LC-MSMS.

Ergot Alkaloids by UPLC-MSMS:

Eurofins laboratories perform various mycotoxin testing methods that are accredited under ISO 17025.

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Pesticide Residue Testing

Eurofins laboratories are global leaders in pesticide residue testing with 20 years of experience in food and environmental testing. Our use of ultra-modern analytical instrumentation, broad testing experience across multiple food industry groups, and highly trained staff sets us apart from other testing laboratories in the industry. We have the most comprehensive pesticide scope available with over 800 chemical standard compounds in our inventory. We participate regularly in all major global Proficiency Testing programs for pesticide residues for the most common agricultural commodities in commerce and harmonize our methods with other Eurofins residue laboratories around the world.

Our network of laboratories offer a series of large multi-residue screens to provide a more cost-effective option for our clients. The selection process for the pesticides included in our multi-residue screens is based on the following criteria: specific groups of commodities, compendium methods, and regulations mandated by local, national and international authorities. As a result, our packages are ideal for clients exporting commodities from the US. Some of these packages include multiple methods because they are crafted to include known used chemicals for specific markets.

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Process Contaminants and Additives

Process Contaminant residues in food have become an increasing concern for global regulatory bodies in the last 25 years. Regulations from California Prop 65, EU Commission, and FDA are most active and monitored for assessments of finished product compliance and testing requirements.

Eurofins is a recognized leader in this field and offers comprehensive testing with unrivaled technical expertise. Below you will find the many common panels we offer for this important testing requirement.

Process Contaminants and Additives by class:

2,6-Dichlorophenol (DCP)
4-Methylimidaole (4-MEI)
Acrylamide
Antioxidants
Bisphenol A
Caffeine
Chlorate and Perchlorate
Cyanide
Ethoxyquin
Ethyl Carbamate
Furans
Glycols
Hydrocarbons
MCPD and Glycidol Esters
Melamine
Nitrosamines
Phthalates
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH Compounds)
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
Smoke related compounds
Sudan Dyes

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Residual Solvents and Fumigants

The control of residual solvent and fumigant residues in food and dietary supplements is a critical quality concern for these industries. Regulations from California Prop 65, EU Commission, and FDA are most active and monitored for assessments of finished product compliance and testing requirements.

Residual Solvents by compendial method or class:

USP 467 Class 1, 2, 3
EPA 5021
AOCS Ca 3b-87 (Olive Oil)
AOCS Cg 4-94 (Food Grade Oils)
Ethanol
Dichlorophenols
Hexanes
Benzene
Styrene

Fumigants by class:

Cyanide
Ethylene Oxide
Phosphine

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Veterinary Drug Residue Testing Services

Avoiding antibiotic residues from veterinary drugs in food is essential when producing safe products for human consumption. There is a high chance for allergic reactions in sensitive individuals if antibiotics are more commonly found in foods. With greater exposure to these substances, individuals may also develop increased resistance to the antibiotics causing them to become less effective when prescribed for medical reasons in the future.

This has led to a growing body of legislation across the world. Legislations, such as the 'Maximum Residue Limits' regulations, were imposed by the EU and the US in 1990 and 1991, respectively.

Worldwide concern about the effect of antibiotic residues from veterinary drugs in food has created a need for testing across a variety of products including:

Muscle Meats (Chicken, Fish, Shellfish)
Other products of animal origin (Pet treats, Animal feeds, Fish meal, Poultry meal, Dairy products, Honey)
Dried Distiller Grains (DDG) and Enzymes

Our network has responded to this need by significantly increasing the number of antibiotics for which we can screen.