Technical Updates

Food & Seafood Testing Services 

Posted on by Maria Villamizar
10
Mar

Food & Seafood Testing Services 

Environmental Contaminants, Regulatory Monitoring and Risk Assessment 

Environmental contaminants are increasingly influencing food safety, particularly in seafood where bioaccumulation and aquatic exposure pathways create heightened risk. 

SGS provides advanced analytical testing services to support food and seafood safety, regulatory compliance, environmental monitoring, and risk assessment. Our laboratories deliver ultra-trace analysis providing defensible data across complex matrices including food, tissue, water, sediment, soil, wastewater, biosolids, and food contact materials. 

We support both pre-regulatory monitoring programs and compliance with newly regulated compounds. 

Emerging Contaminants  

Emerging contaminants are recognized as potential environmental and human health concerns. These contaminants enter food systems through: 

  • Surface and groundwater 
  • Soil and sediment 
  • Waste streams and biosolids 
  • Atmospheric deposition 
  • Food processing and packaging materials 

Seafood is particularly sensitive due to environmental exposure and trophic transfer. 

We specialize in low-level detection, long-term monitoring studies, and complex analytical scopes, supporting occurrence assessments, fate and transport studies, and regulatory readiness. 

Key analyte groups include: 

  • PFAS 
  • Microplastics 
  • Dioxins and furans 
  • Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) 
  • 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ) 
  • Chemicals migrating from food contact materials 

PFAS Testing  

PFAS can enter food through environmental exposure pathways and migration from packaging materials. Food, particularly seafood, represents a significant exposure pathway. 

We have measured emerging contaminants since the 1970s, including PFAS analysis since 2003, contributing to best practices in analysis, sampling, storage stability, and interference mitigation across complex matrices. 

Our PFAS Capabilities Include: 

  • EPA Method 1633 and related methodologies 
  • Analysis of up to 90 PFAS compounds, including ultrashort-chain PFAS 
  • Isotope-dilution LC-MS/MS quantification 
  • TOP Assay (Total Oxidizable Precursor) 
  • Adsorbable, Extractable, and Total Fluorine (AOF, EOF, TF) 
  • Advanced High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) confirmation analysis and non-target screening 

Methods align with ISO 17025, NELAP, and other accreditation frameworks. We support compliance monitoring, retailer due diligence, and pre-regulatory investigations. 

Microplastics 

Microplastics (<5 mm synthetic polymer particles) are increasingly detected in aquatic systems and seafood products. These particles may interact with other contaminants, influencing environmental transport and bioavailability. 

We support microplastic analysis in: 

  • Seafood tissue 
  • Surface and groundwater 
  • Sediment and soil 
  • Wastewater treatment compartments 

Services support environmental monitoring, occurrence studies, and risk evaluation. 

Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care Products (PPCPs) 

PPCPs comprise thousands of compounds originating from pharmaceuticals, veterinary products, and consumer goods. These substances enter aquatic and agricultural systems via wastewater discharge, biosolids, compost, and irrigation. 

SGS offers analysis of nearly 200 PPCP targets, supporting large-scale monitoring programs evaluating occurrence, transport, and mass balance across water, sediment, soil, wastewater, and tissue matrices. 

Dioxins & Furans 

Dioxins and furans are persistent, bioaccumulative compounds requiring ultra-trace detection (parts-per-quadrillion levels). They partition strongly to sediments and accumulate in aquatic organisms, making seafood monitoring critical. 

Since 1989, we have been conducting dioxin and furan analyses and supporting:

  • Food and feed testing 
  • Drinking water programs 
  • Omega-3 supplement testing protocols 
  • Fish tissue monitoring 
  • Drinking water and NPDES compliance 
  • Stack emissions (Method 23) 
  • Natural resource damage assessments and TMDL programs 

Our high-capacity magnetic sector and tandem mass spectrometry platforms deliver defensible data suitable for regulatory and litigation support. 

6PPD-Quinone (6PPDQ) 

6PPDQ, formed from tire antioxidant 6-PPD, has emerged as a contaminant of concern due to its toxicity to aquatic species. It enters waterways through stormwater runoff and is increasingly relevant to fisheries and seafood safety. 

We currently provide analysis in: 

  • Surface and groundwater 
  • Stormwater 
  • Soil and sediment 
  • Wastewater influent/effluent 
  • Biosolids 

Our services support regulatory evaluation and mitigation planning. 

Food Contact Materials & Environmental Interface 

Environmental contamination can influence food packaging integrity, and chemical migration from food contact materials may contribute to food exposure.

As environmental testing specialists, we help manufacturers in monitoring contaminants affecting packaging and maintaining compliance.

Microbiology Testing 

Microbiological contamination remains a primary food safety concern. We provide testing for pathogens and indicator organisms in food products, processing environments, and environmental matrices, including: 

  • Salmonella 
  • Listeria 
  • E. coli and coliforms 
  • Enterococci 
  • Staphylococcus 
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa 
  • Legionella 
  • Yeast and mold 
  • Total plate count (HPC/TPC/APC) 

Our services support routine monitoring, environmental investigations, and regulatory compliance. 

Analytical Strength & Capacity 

  • Decades of emerging contaminant expertise 
  • Ultra-trace detection across complex food and environmental matrices 
  • Advanced instrumentation (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, HRMS, magnetic sector MS) 
  • Accredited laboratory network with high analytical capacity 
  • Technical support for study design, data interpretation, and regulatory engagement 

SGS provides scientifically defensible data to support food safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory decision-making. 

For additional food related testing and services, please contact our team.