Packaging Testing, Compliance Support and Performance Services

What packaging testing services does Intertek provide?

Regulatory & Compliance Support

• Food contact regulatory testing
• Migration testing
• NIAS and contaminants analysis
• PFAS testing and screening
• Declaration of Compliance support
• Global market access support

Materials & Chemical Analysis

• Material characterisation
• Chemical and physical testing
• Composition analysis
• Failure investigation and root-cause analysis
• Provenance and traceability analysis

Packaging Performance

• Mechanical and physical testing
• Durability testing
• Barrier performance
• Weathering and ageing
• Adhesives and coatings testing

Sustainable & Recycled Packaging

• Recycled material qualification
• Recycled content verification
• Recycling process assessment
• Design-for-recycling and recyclability support
• Sustainability and eco-claims support

Product Development

• Material selection and benchmarking
• Alternative material evaluation
• Lab-scale materials processing
• Troubleshooting
• Process optimisation

Specialised Packaging Applications

• Food and beverage
• Cosmetics and personal care
• Pharmaceutical and medical
• Consumer products
• Industrial packaging

How can Intertek help you navigate packaging regulations?

Packaging regulations are evolving alongside increasing requirements around food-contact safety, chemicals, recycled materials and circularity. Intertek combines analytical testing with regulatory expertise to help organisations understand applicable requirements, generate reliable data and develop appropriate compliance strategies.

Key areas include:

• Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
• European and US food contact requirements
• PFAS assessment
• NIAS evaluation
• Migration testing
• Recycled plastics and food contact applications
• Product compliance programmes
• Declaration of Compliance support

White Paper: Evaluating Plastic Films

PFAS - Regulatory Developments and Monitoring in Polymer Samples - Q&A

White Paper: A Guide to EU Declarations of Compliance for Food Contact Materials

Intertek PFAS packaging testing capabilities include:

• Total Fluorine (TF) analysis by Combustion Ion Chromatography
• Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) screening by Pyrolysis-GC/MS
• Targeted PFAS analysis by LC-MS/MS
• TOP Assay for PFAS precursors
• Non-targeted PFAS analysis using high-resolution LC-QTOF-MS
• Food contact packaging compliance support
• Regulatory and technical advisory

How can you evaluate recycled and sustainable packaging?

As the demand for sustainable solutions increases, businesses must balance performance with compliance while addressing concerns such as non-intentionally added substances and the longevity of materials. These obstacles, along with the need to meet regulatory standards for both single-use and multi-use food contact materials, underscore the importance of thorough testing and innovative approaches in packaging development. 

Moving towards circular packaging can introduce new questions around material quality, chemical safety, regulatory compliance and performance. Intertek packaging testing expertise supports the evaluation and qualification of recycled and alternative packaging materials through testing and materials science, underpinned by recycled content verification advisory expertise.

What packaging materials can Intertek test?

• Plastics and polymer packaging
• Films and flexible packaging
• Paper and board
• Glass
• Silicone
• Metals
• Adhesives
• Coatings
• Recycled plastics
• Multi-material packaging

Your Packaging Testing Partner

Bringing quality, safety, and sustainability to life, we apply our experience to support your packaging development from early-stage R&D to recycling and beyond. Why choose Intertek as your packaging testing partner?

• Integrated testing with regulatory expertise: Access 40+ years of materials science and analytical testing experience and regulatory support through one partner.
• Support across the packaging lifecycle:  From R&D and material selection through compliance, production and recycling.
• Advanced analytical capabilities:  Investigate substances of concern, contaminants, material composition and performance.
• Circular economy expertise: Support recycled materials, recycling technologies and packaging circularity through CircularAssure.

Food and Drink Packaging Testing

Our experts specialise in food contact regulations, including European, FDA, and other global standards for a vast range of packaging materials including plastic, paper, glass, silicone and metal. Our food contact materials team have experience working with tiny, simple samples, such as PTFE gaskets, to complicated samples containing many materials, such as coffee machines. They are well equipped to support you with appropriate sample preparation prior to conducting overall migration testing (OM) and specific migration testing (SM). Using various analytical techniques, we assess non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) and substances of concern, such as primary aromatic amines, trace metals, PFAS, bisphenol A, microplastics, and phthalates. Through our CircularAssure program, we support the circular lifecycle of food packaging, offering chemical assessment, migration testing, support for recycling process development and recycled material certification services.

Cosmetics Packaging

Cosmetic packaging must protect the product and support the entire brand experience. Some of the challenges in this sector include non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), chemical substances of concern, degradation of materials and microplastics. We have worked with globally innovative brands to evaluate their cosmetic packaging through migration studies. With our CircularAssure program, we have also supported sustainable solutions for personal care, exploring materials development through processing, where recycled materials are used or incorporated into the packaging.

Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging

Our experts have over 30 years of experience in specialised analytical and toxicology assessment for extractable leachable testing for pharmaceutical packaging and chemical characterisation for medical device packaging and components according to ISO 10993-18. From R&D support to E&L studies from our GMP-compliant laboratories, our expertise is reinforced by our knowledge of polymer, plastic and packaging materials which underpins our ability to drive insights for you into materials' formulation, including adhesives, additives, stabiliser ingredients, and their degradation products.

Physical Testing of Packaging

The physical and mechanical properties of packaging materials are critical for ensuring durability, safety, and product protection across industries like food, cosmetics, and chemicals. Rigorous testing, such as tensile, tear, burst, and barrier performance, helps optimise packaging performance, reduce recalls, and support sustainability. As companies shift toward recycled and bioplastics, maintaining strength, flexibility, and resistance to environmental stressors is essential. Intertek provides comprehensive, standardised testing and failure analysis services to help businesses develop reliable, innovative, and compliant packaging solutions. Physical testing also plays a key role in adhesives development and performance testing. Our dedicated adhesive testing laboratory has extensive experience in strength testing for adhesives destined for a wide scope of applications. 

Services Summary:

• Food and Drink Packaging Testing
• Food Contact Migration Testing
• Non-intentionally Added Substances Testing
• Cosmetics Packaging Testing
• Extractables and Leachables for Pharmaceutical Container Closure Systems
• Adhesives Testing
• Mechanical Testing for Packaging
• Coatings Testing
• Polymers and Plastics Testing
• Microplastics Testing
• Circular Economy Support for Recycled Plastics Quality Assurance – CircularAssure
• Recycled Content
• Materials Testing
• ISTA Testing
  
  

Your Packaging Testing Partner

Bringing quality, safety, and sustainability to life, we apply our experience to support your packaging development from early-stage R&D to recycling and beyond.