Intertek develops rapid test to identify toxin in cardboard and paper packaging

GELEEN, Netherlands, March 10, 2009 (Business Wire) - Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world, has developed new laboratory testing services to rapidly detect the presence of the chemical 4-methyl-benzophenon in food packaging. Recent incidents in the European Union revealed high levels of 4-methyl-benzophenon in food products. The chemical component migrated from the packaging material into the food.

Food producers and packaging vendors benefit from this testing, helping them avoid problems in the food supply chain. Yet standard testing methods for the chemical, using official migration tests for packaging materials, can take weeks before the results are known. Intertek can greatly reduce these testing delays.

The Intertek Polychemlab facility has recently developed a rapid test method to identify 4-methyl-benzophenon in packaging materials and food products within 24 hours of the samples delivered to the laboratory. Intertek also performs indicative migration testing, with test results produced in 48 hours or less.

In addition, Intertek performs the official migration testing method EN-14338 according to the official standard.