All in a Day’s Work: Contract Labs Handle Problems Your In-house Lab Can’t

Current consumer worries about food safety have made an impact on contract analytical laboratories, which are experiencing an increase in inquiries and sample volume. “Our methods and our results have been under close scrutiny by our clients and regulators,” says Dr. King. “We have had to develop or modify methods to meet the analytical requests on matrices where the method was not amenable.”

Media exposure of potential hazards has also become a challenge, Dr. King adds. He cites the example of last year’s pet food recall. “It was originally reported that aminopterin was the cause of the pet food problem, and laboratories scrambled to validate methods for aminopterin, and then, just as quickly, the focus shifted to melamine and cyanuric acid.” Laboratories work hard to respond in such instances but “as soon as the scare is gone, the tests are no longer requested and the instruments stand underused until the next scare arises.”

The challenge for both routine and non-routine contract analytical testing laboratories is to stay abreast of the issues affecting the industry. Also important is balancing the need for high quality, reliable data, and interpretations with the quest for timeliness and low cost. A client seeking to hire a contract analytical laboratory should consider these challenges and choose the best fit for its current needs.

Examples of Testing Services

When choosing a contract laboratory, ask for examples of similar problems solved. The following are some examples of case studies from Chemir Analytical Services and NSF that show how a contract laboratory can assist in solving complex problems and developing new products.

Unusual problems may require looking beyond the food or beverage product to the packaging and product-packaging interactions. For example, Chemir Analytical Services has tackled many projects involving examining extractables and leachables. Similar to FDA-required testing for pharmaceuticals, extractables and leachables analyses are designed to identify chemicals that can be released or migrate from product or packaging components.

Extractables and leachables may be organic substances, such as packaging raw materials, additives, or stabilizers, or inorganic substances like metal oxides or acids that can come from packaging components. A combination of capabilities and diverse instrumentation will allow a contract lab to include development and validation of methods for a variety of material components such as polymers, metals, foils, inks, adhesives, labels, liners, seals, and coatings.

Contamination concerns can be a difficult challenge for analytical laboratories, even those with considerable experience in the analysis and characterization of unknown contaminants in food and beverage products. An initial characterization of the sample includes determining the chemical fingerprint using solvent extractions and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, as well as finding its elemental profile using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer. Often, however, further testing is required to fully identify the source of contamination.

“When an individual has consumed something and experienced a burning sensation or become sick, it’s difficult to go back and determine a chemical reason,” says Dr. LeVanseler of NSF. “Proper selection of sample preparation, instrumental technique, and the use of non-contaminated foods as controls may help to identify a chemical that should not be present.” When a contamination issue could potentially turn into a legal case, it is important to choose an analytical partner experienced in presenting testimony with solid, unquestionable data.

Identifying the reason for quality questions may require the detective work of an outside analytical laboratory. When off-quality problems occur, fingers point to product content, processing machinery, storage areas, or even a change in packaging materials. “Investigations begin with asking questions about potential culprits and, often, the client already has some ideas as to why the product has been compromised,” says Dr. Otten.