The Importance of Laboratory
Testing for Food Production
By Naovarat Dachprasart, R&D Chemist, SGS Food Safety Services
Today, in the food industry, it is widely accepted that a quality management system is a tool to support business
survival and growth in the long term.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) is a preventive system designed
to ensure that all food safety production is operated according to the Codex
Alimentarius International Food Standards.
The objective of the HACCP system is to
prove that products are properly manufactured for the health and safety of consumers
by avoiding three hazard sources:
• Biological hazards: Derived from microbial hazards such as salmonella and E.
coli bacteria.
• Chemical hazards: Contamination with
chemicals used in agriculture and the
production processes of raw materials
such as antibiotics, plant growth substances and pesticides, as well as food
additives such as preservatives, and
including chemicals that are used in the
production/processing plant such as oil,
grease and cleaning agents for equipment and machinery.
• Physical hazards: Foreign objects in food
that can cause illness or injury to the
consumer such as glass, pieces of metal,
plastic or wood.
The application of a HACCP system is based
on technical and scientific principles used
to evaluate hazards and collect data for
analysis. With this information, a plan can
be devised to avoid problems and to moni-
tor and solve problems that do occur, while
continuously verifying the performance of
the system.
Laboratory testing is an
important process, which
relies on scientific analy-
sis to identify problems
with food products. It pro-
vides analytical data on
the quality of a product or production pro-
cess to support quality control in the HACCP
system. The objective of quality control is
to identify contaminants in raw material, or
contamination after a product is produced
and before it is placed on the market.
Additionally, laboratory testing is important
for the research and development of new
products, including, for example, the choice
of ingredients or components, the design of
food processing, shelf-life studies and sen-
sory evaluation of products. This is the kind
of information food scientists need when
developing new products. Another benefit of
laboratory testing is compliance with regula-
tions for both the import and export of food
products to different countries. Food regula-
tion is designed to protect public health and
the safety of consumers.
For example:
• In the United States, nutrition information is required on packaged retail foods
in the form of food labeling, to comply
with Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
labeling regulations. The "Nutrition Facts"
on the label must show total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, fiber, sugar, protein, vitamin
A, vitamin C, calcium and iron content. In
addition, it may include nutrition claims
such as "low fat", "low cholesterol" and
“low sugar.” Consumers can use this
information to select healthy foods and
make informed buying decisions. This
allows manufacturers to be competitive
and develop new products, increasing
consumer choice.
• The FDA sets action levels that specify
maximum levels of specific contaminants
that may be found in a food sample.
The FDA will take action if they find that
contaminants in a product exceed the
action level. For example, the action level
for aflatoxin in foods for human con-
sumption, such as peanuts and peanut
products, and Brazil and pistachio nuts,
is 20 parts per billion (ppb), to protect
human and animal health. If food is found
to contain aflatoxin at a value exceeding
the acceptable level, its sale or export is
not allowed.
Therefore, food manufacturers must have
traceability in their industry to ensure their
food products are safe, with no contaminants or residues, and to provide accurate
nutritional information. General laboratory
testing of a manufacturer’s product may
include the following techniques:
• Analytical chemistry testing: The study of
the separation, identification, and quan-tification of the chemical components of
natural and artificial materials such as
pH, additives, colors, contaminants, preservatives, minerals and trace elements,
among others.
• Food microbiology testing: The study
of the microorganisms that inhabit or
contaminate food to help manufacturers
assess the safety of raw materials, components, ingredients and final products,
thus guaranteeing the safety of food
products. Testing for spoilage organisms
and pathogens may be used to examine
and prevent food poisoning outbreaks
caused by food products and ingredients.
This is important, as the whole supply
chain may be contaminated in the process of food production.
• Food nutrition analysis: An analysis of
value and the nutritional content in foods
and food products. It provides information for nutrition labeling on food packaging that manufacturers are required
to include to comply with the labeling
regulations of destination countries.
Therefore, manufacturers and import-ers/exporters should be fully aware of
the applicable laws and regulations of a
country before offering their foods for
