Food Product Testing: Ensuring Safety & Compliance

8 min

Food Product Testing: Ensuring Safety & Compliance

Food safety testing is the firewall between consumers and contaminants. Every certificate of analysis informs regulatory approvals, market access, and brand reputation. This article explains how Mineral Quality Services Pvt. Ltd. executes end-to-end food product testing with ISO/IEC 17025 rigor, covering microbiology, chemical residues, allergens, nutritional analysis, and supply chain traceability.

Table of Contents

Regulatory Framework and Standards

Food testing in India aligns with FSSAI regulations, Codex standards, EU Regulation 2073/2005, and US FDA requirements. Export consignments must comply with importing country limits for pathogens, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, and nutritional declarations. MQS laboratories maintain methods validated against AOAC, ISO, and EN standards to satisfy multi-market requirements.

Microbiological Testing

Microbiological analysis covers pathogens (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli O157:H7), hygiene indicators (APC, coliforms), and spoilage organisms (yeasts, molds). MQS uses rapid PCR screening followed by cultural confirmation. Environmental monitoring swabs track hygiene zones in manufacturing plants, feeding CAPA programs when counts exceed action limits.

Chemical Residues, Heavy Metals, and Adulterants

Residue testing spans pesticides, veterinary drugs, mycotoxins, and industrial contaminants. UHPLC-MS/MS screens hundreds of pesticides in a single run. ICP-MS quantifies heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium down to ppb levels. Specialized adulteration screens detect melamine in dairy, Sudan dyes in spices, and mineral oil hydrocarbons in edible oils.

Nutritional Labeling and Shelf-Life Studies

Nutritional analyses determine macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and caloric content. MQS conducts accelerated shelf-life studies by simulating storage conditions, monitoring microbiology, sensory attributes, and packaging integrity. Labels produced from MQS data comply with FSSAI font, format, and RDA requirements.

Allergen Management and Cross-Contact Control

Allergen testing (gluten, peanut, soy, tree nuts, shellfish) uses ELISA and PCR. MQS audits allergen control plans, verifying ingredient segregation, changeover cleaning validation, and precautionary labeling decisions based on actual risk rather than blanket statements.

Supply Chain Verification and Traceability

QR-coded chain-of-custody documents track samples from supplier intake to final CoA. Ingredient authenticity is assessed using spectroscopic fingerprinting and DNA barcoding, detecting dilution or substitution. Blockchain-ready data exports allow clients to integrate MQS results into digital traceability platforms.

Quality Systems, SOPs, and Digital LIMS

MQS maintains ISO 17025 accreditation and ISO 9001 management systems. SOPs cover sample receipt, hold times, extraction, instrument calibration, and data review. LIMS automates result entry, uncertainty calculation, and certificate approval workflows with electronic signatures.

Case Study: Ready-to-Eat Snack Exporter

An exporter faced repeated holds in the EU due to aflatoxin exceedances. MQS implemented pre-shipment screening, lot segregation, and supplier profiling. Within three months, non-compliance incidents dropped to zero, restoring the client’s on-time delivery performance.

Best Practice Checklist

  • Define regulatory targets for every destination market.
  • Schedule routine microbiological and chemical monitoring per HACCP plans.
  • Validate cleaning procedures to prevent allergen cross-contact.
  • Retain counter samples and digital chain-of-custody records.
  • Use accredited labs with multi-matrix scope coverage.

Conclusion

Food product testing demands scientific rigor, regulatory alignment, and real-time traceability. Mineral Quality Services Pvt. Ltd. combines accredited methods, digital workflows, and practical industry experience to help brands launch safe, compliant, and trusted products worldwide.