Food Contact Materials Testing and Multi-Market Compliance Services

Testing and compliance support for cookware, packaging, containers and food-processing contact parts under relevant China GB 4806, EU FCM, U.S. FDA 21 CFR or German LFGB requirements.

Service overview

Food-contact requirements depend on material type, food category, contact temperature and duration, repeated-use conditions and destination market. SCS Testing first confirms use conditions and material composition, then defines overall migration, specific migration, compositional restriction, sensory or other applicable testing for the target jurisdiction. Rules and positive lists from different jurisdictions are not interchangeable and should not be presented as a universal 'food-grade certification'.

Applicable products or businesses

• Plastics, rubber, silicone, metals, ceramics, glass, coatings, paper and multilayer materials
• Tableware, cookware, packaging, drinking containers, child-feeding products and food-machinery contact parts
• Manufacturers, brand owners, importers and retail-platform suppliers

Target market

• China, the EU, the United States, Germany and other specifically identified markets

Regulatory authority

• Relevant Chinese market-regulation and health authorities
• European Commission and Member State food-safety authorities
• U.S. FDA and other applicable market authorities

Regulations, directives and standards

• China GB 4806 series and material-specific standards
• EU Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004, GMP Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 and material-specific measures
• U.S. FDA 21 CFR food-contact provisions and applicable food-contact substance authorization routes
• German LFGB-related requirements and test recommendations according to material and use

Service scope

• Material and intended-use compliance matrix
• Overall/specific migration, metals, residual and compositional restriction testing
• Sensory, repeated-use and high-temperature contact testing where applicable
• Label, declaration-of-compliance and supply-chain material document review

Service process

• Confirm material, food type, contact conditions and destination market
• Identify the rules, simulants, temperature, time and repeat cycles
• Select worst-case samples and test units
• Complete testing and evaluate detected substances or migration results
• Compile reports, material declarations and conditions-of-use information

Information required

• Product drawings, material structure and layer composition
• Food-contact surface, food type, temperature, time and repeated-use description
• Colour, coating, adhesive, ink and supplier information
• Existing reports, material declarations and formulation data
• Labels, use instructions and destination countries

Sample requirements

• Samples must be finished products or materials representative of the final contact construction
• Multiple colours, coatings and contact surfaces are selected according to risk
• Repeated-use products require complete use and cleaning conditions

## Reports, certificates or registration outcomes Outputs are test reports and document-review records for the specified jurisdiction and conditions of use. Results apply only to the tested material, construction and contact conditions; they are not a universal cross-jurisdiction 'food-grade certificate' and do not automatically cover formulation, colour or supplier changes.

Factors affecting timing

Timing depends on material layers, number of jurisdictions, migration conditions, repeated-use testing, formulation transparency and follow-up investigations.

Common compliance risks

• Using a fixed test package without defining food type and contact conditions
• Treating EU, FDA, GB or LFGB results as interchangeable
• Testing only the substrate while overlooking coatings, inks, adhesives and decorated surfaces
• Extending a report to different formulations, colours or suppliers

Frequently asked questions

## Is there one test package for all food-contact materials?

No. Scope depends on material, food category, temperature/time, repeated use and destination market.

## Is FDA food-contact compliance the same as FDA registration?

No. Food-contact substance compliance and food facility registration are different regulatory matters.

Can one report cover several countries?

Only where the relevant rules, methods and limits have been explicitly assessed; coverage cannot be assumed.

Related services

• FDA food-contact compliance
• REACH chemicals compliance
• Cookware and tableware label review
• Packaging material testing

Information for an initial assessment

Provide the product name, model, intended use, target market, bill of materials and available reports so that the applicable route and evidence gaps can be assessed.