As the 44west team prepared to join the World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic, sponsor SGS applied its expertise to ensure the crew’s safety and sustainability while at sea.
In this article we look at food contact material testing.
Take four rowers, their equipment and food supplies, and the driver for testing products is to ensure their safety and quality. Food packaging is ubiquitous. It is also heavily regulated to ensure the safety of the food products within.
Testing the food packaging of the 44west team’s food supplies will ensure that they not only meet legal requirements for food contact materials (FCM) but also that their packaging will reach the rowers without contamination or degradation.
The risk of harmful and/or toxic substances from packaging to food, and consequently the rowers’ bodies, increases significantly in salty, humid conditions. Chemical migration can accelerate. To address this risk, we applied strict testing conditions to ensure packaging and the food within stays safe throughout their journey. It’s about protecting health, whatever the circumstances.
Which tests are being performed?
To ensure food packaging is safe, complaint and not harmful to the team, or the environment, the first step has been to verify compliance with the mandatory EU standard Regulation No. 10/2011 which applies to all food plastics sold in the EU. This is followed by verifying compliance with REACH and POPs Regulations.
This involved:
- FCM testing
- REACH and POPs Regulations – PFAS presence testing
- BPA and other hazardous bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives testing
We tested for:
- Overall and specific migrations, including:
- Heavy metals
- PAAs (primary aromatic amines)
- Monomers (terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol) – in PET plastic used in food packaging
- BPA (bisphenol A) and other hazardous bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives
- PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
What are FCM regulations?
Designed to protect consumers by ensuring that substances from packaging do not migrate into food at harmful levels, FCM regulations vary globally but all share the same core principle. They define which substances are allowed to be used in food contact materials, rather than listing what is restricted. Certain additives or monomers may be permitted but they must comply with strict migration limits. These limits are what we test for during compliance assessments.
Variations are common. For example, the packaging of the protein powder chosen by the 44west team is being tested according to EU regulations. However, different EU member states may have additional requirements, such as Italy requiring testing for color migration and Germany setting specific limits for PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). If a product is sold globally, it is essential to consider all destination markets’ requirements to ensure full compliance.
Why PFAS and BPA?
Both substances are hazardous to human health. PFAS is a current hot topic. They are a large group of chemicals (10,000+) which have long been valued for their water-resistant properties. However, PFAS do not break down in the environment. They bioaccumulate in soil, water and the food chain, eventually reaching humans in the food we eat. Consequently, we test for PFAS to protect human health and the environment.
BPA is known to disrupt the endocrine system and affect growth and development, especially in infants. Recent research shows adults too are at risk. Earlier this year, the EU introduced a new regulation banning BPA and hazardous bisphenols in almost all materials and setting a new limit of 1 ppb, effective from July 2026. We have tested the 44west team’s supplies against this new BPA limit to ensure the highest levels of protection.
Testing results
Chemical testing is the only way to confirm if a material is safe for food contact. Once testing is complete, manufacturers receive results covering both mandatory regulations and additional requirements.
Fail: If any parameter fails, manufacturers need to review and improve their production process. With data readily available, we can then help by analyzing the root cause and providing recommendations for improvement.
Pass: If all parameters pass, the product is considered safe for food contact, giving consumers confidence in its safety.
These insights help brands ensure compliance, protect consumer health and maintain trust.
- 10/2011 & 351/2025 – packaging body
Sensory (odor and taste test): Pass
Overall migration: Pass
Specific migration of heavy metal: Pass (not detected)
Specific migration of Primary Aromatic Amine (PAA): Pass (not detected)
Specific migration of terephthalic acid: Pass (not detected)
Specific migration of ethylene glycol: Pass (not detected)
*Protein Powder Packaging (Body)
- 3190/2024 – packaging body and lid
BPs Content (1ppb)/Bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives: Pass (not detected)
*Protein Powder Packaging (Body & Lid)
- PFAS 630 substances
PFAS 630 substances: Pass (not detected)
*Protein Powder Packaging (Body & Lid)
How can SGS meet your FCM testing needs?
We support companies by conducting food contact materials testing according to the requirements of Europe, the USA, Canada, the Mercosur region and Asia Pacific countries, helping ensure both global compliance and consumer safety.
