1. Importance of food packaging testing:

Today the food industry is constantly evolving, leading to the development of the food packaging industry. Packaging is integral to protecting the food inside from bumps during transit, helping to protect the product from harmful contaminants, and ensuring quality throughout its shelf life. use. In addition, the packaging is seen as something that bridges the gap between consumers and manufacturers. A beautiful and eye-catching food packaging design helps to increase the purchase rate many times. The information printed on the product is also important for the user to identify the type of food, the ingredient, or the supplier.

Currently, there are many types of packaging: Paper, glass, rubber, and metal, … Each type of packaging has certain standards that the Ministry of Health has set to ensure the health of consumers.

According to the Law on Food Safety No. 55/2010/QH12, Article 18 – Conditions for ensuring the safety of tools, packaging materials, and food containers:

• Manufactured from safe materials, ensuring that no harmful substances and strange flavors are released into food, ensuring food quality within the shelf life.
• Meet the corresponding technical regulations, and comply with the regulations for tools, packaging materials, and food containers promulgated by the Minister of Health.
• Register the publication of regulation conformity with the competent state agency before circulating on the market.

2. Some legal documents and standards stipulate:

Vietnamese technical regulations:

• QCVN 12-1:2011/BYT – National technical regulation on safety and hygiene for synthetic plastic packaging and tools in direct contact with food
• QCVN 12-2:2011/BYT – National technical regulation on safety for rubber packaging and tools in direct contact with food
• QCVN 12-3:2011/BYT – National technical regulation on safety and hygiene for metal packaging and tools in direct contact with food
• QCVN 12-4:2015/BYT – National technical regulation on hygiene and safety for packaging, utensils made of glass, ceramic and enamel in direct contact with food
• QCVN 46:2007/BYT – Testing wood products.

Regulations of foreign markets:

• Regulation (EU) No 10/2011: Elimination criteria for export to the EU.

Food packaging testing criteria must be developed based on national technical regulations on each specific packaging sample according to the standards issued by the Ministry of Health.

3. Analytical sample background:

TSL provides food packaging testing of all sample subjects in direct contact with food:

• Plastic material
• Rubber material
• Metallic material
• Ceramic, porcelain, glass, and enamel materials
• Paper and cardboard materials
• Wood and bamboo materials.

4. Analytical equipment

In order to promptly meet the needs of customers and improve the quality of food packaging testing activities at TSL, TSL has equipped with modern and synchronous analytical equipment:

• GC/MSMS gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry system.
• Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) system.
• Atomic emission spectrometer system (ICP – OES) and ICP – MS system.

5. Analytical method:

• All analytical procedures used to test food packaging at TSL refer to the standard methods of Vietnam and common standards in the world such as TCVN, QCVN, AOAC, and ISO, … and all these processes are surveyed and validated in accordance with ISO 17025.
• All methods are tested to assess staff skills, participate in inter-departmental comparisons and implement domestic and international PT programs.
• The majority of analytical methods are accredited to ISO 17025 by AOSC.