Do you produce the type of food items that need nutritional labels? Is there a chance that your
products might be contaminated with harmful toxins? Are you serious about ensuring a strong brand
reputation and fostering good public health?
If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, then you definitely need your products to go
through a food chemistry testing lab.
What is food chemistry testing?
Before a food manufacturer can sell foodstuffs, they must confirm the contents of the product.
Through this verification process, your business can ensure that food items meet safety standards.
This entire process is called food chemistry testing.
The tests that are done can tell you how much carbohydrates, protein, or fat is in your product. It
can also give you an indication of harmful pathogens and compounds that are present in the item.
What are your products tested for?
When you send your products to a food chemistry testing lab, there are various analyses that can be
done. Here is a list of some of the main testing categories:
1. Nutrients
The lab analyses your product to determine the various nutritional components that are
present, and the quantities of these components. This gives you the power to ensure that
you are compliant with regulations in terms of labelling and food content.
2. Water
Water must be analysed before it is deemed safe for human consumption. In most cases,
your water will be tested according to SANS 241, which sets out 4 specific risk categories and
dictates minimum values that determine whether water is drinkable.
3. Moisture
Your product can also be tested for levels of moisture. This is because this property can
affect various aspects of your product including shelf life.
4. Toxic substances
Chemistry laboratories also test for harmful components like mycotoxins and biotoxins.
You can also select to have your products undergo beverage grade carbon dioxide testing,
specialized dairy and milk analysis, and testing for heavy metals, amongst other things.
How does this affect your business?
The law regulates various aspects of the sale of foodstuffs. And, as a food or feed manufacturer, you
must comply with these laws. To ensure that you are compliant and your products are safe and of
high quality, food chemistry lab testing is a necessity.
If your products are not tested, you may be risking the health of those who purchase from you. As a
result, you will potentially face legal claims, and you will surely lose trust from your regular
consumers thus affecting your brands reputation.
Concluding Thoughts
These days, consumers are more aware of food safety than they ever have been before. They put a
lot of thought in what they put into their bodies. On top of that, regulations have become stricter to
ensure public health and safety.
This means that you have to ensure that you are on top of the safety and quality of your products.
The best way to do that is to put everything you make through a food chemistry-testing lab.
