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FCM ( Overall and specific/ migration)

METS Lab’s FCM testing helps you to evaluate food contact materials, comply with the requirements of local and global regulations and standards and build consumer trust and saturation. 

We perform physical and chemical testing at our chemical testing labs to evaluate contact materials such as plastic, paper, glass, crockery, cutlery, etc. Our testing services help you confirm food safety and hygiene throughout the supply chain cycle from processing to packaging, from shelf to consumer. 

Our testing includes overall migration analysis, specific migration, heavy metal, composition and material, denitrification, migration of colorants, PCP contact etc. To offer you a test report of your product no matter how large or small your business, how simple or complex your requirements we are with our accredited lab testing facility, coupled with our specialized team of expert, we protect your brand and your business.


Overall migration analysis

Food packaging is considered as the underrated origin of chemical food contamination because there occurs a transfer of chemical contaminants from food contact materials to food. This transfer of chemical contaminants is called migration. So, it is crucial to test the migration of food contact materials to ensure safety of the food products. Migration limits are established based on the toxicological risk of these food contacting materials. The Overall Migration limit is the sum of all substances that migrate from the food contacting material to the food. EN 1186-3 (Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs – Plastics – Part 3: Test methods for overall migration into aqueous food simulants by total immersion) recommended the determination of overall migration of plastics by total immersion in the food simulants under test conditions for a particular period of time.  The result for migration is evaluated gravimetrically by weighing the evaporated food stimulant.  EN 1186-9 (Materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs – Plastics – Part 9: Test methods for overall migration into aqueous food simulants by article filling) demonstrated the determination of overall migration into aqueous based food simulants from plastics which are intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, by filling articles with aqueous food simulant. GSO 1863/2013 establishes an overall migration limit for plastic food contact materials of less than 10 mg/dm2 or 60 mg/kg.


Specific migration analysis

Plastics, glass, Ceramic, metal and alloy-based food-contact materials are potentially releasing toxic heavy metals.  Metal migration from food contact materials into food is becoming a major public health concern; so it is important to determine specific migration of metals of these food contacting materials. Specific migration of metals from these samples can be determined by employing ICP-AES or AAS by contacting the sample with food simulants at specific temperature and for a specific period of time.  ISO 6486-1:2019, ISO 7086-1:2019, ISO 8391-1:1986.