📦 ASSAL Accredited · EN-1186 · EN-13130 · BPA · EU 10/2011 · FDA · CAA · MERCOSUR

Migration Analysis — Food Contact Materials

ASSAL-accredited testing for plastic, paper and cardboard packaging in contact with food.

Biogroup, accredited by ASSAL (Santa Fe Food Safety Agency), analyses plastic, paper and cardboard containers that come into contact with food to determine the migration of monomers, additives and other residual substances — including BPA, phthalates, mineral oils, primary aromatic amines and heavy metals.

Our chemists have extensive knowledge of national and international food contact material regulations — including the Argentine Código Alimentario Argentino (CAA), MERCOSUR standards, the European framework (EU 10/2011, EN-1186, EN-13130) and FDA guidelines. Biogroup not only determines migration concentrations but can also investigate the causes by which a substance reaches the food — a critical diagnostic service for packaging manufacturers and food companies.

ASSAL
Accredited laboratory
Plastic · Paper · Board
All food contact materials
EU · FDA · CAA
Three regulatory frameworks
+35 years
Food safety expertise
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ASSAL-accredited results
Biogroup is accredited by ASSAL (Agencia Santafesina de Seguridad Alimentaria) for food contact material testing — the accreditation required for results to be recognised by Argentine food safety authorities, ANMAT and export market regulators.
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Multi-market regulatory coverage
Testing aligned with Argentine CAA, MERCOSUR standards, EU Regulation 10/2011, EN-1186, EN-13130 and FDA guidance — enabling manufacturers to certify packaging for domestic, regional and export markets simultaneously.
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Root cause investigation
Beyond quantification — Biogroup can investigate the causes by which a substance migrates to food. Critical for packaging development, supplier qualification, contamination incidents and product reformulation.
What is food contact material migration — and why it matters
Every food contact material transfers something to the food — the question is how much
Migration is the transfer of chemical substances from a packaging material into the food it contains — driven by contact time, temperature, food type and material composition.

Food contact materials (FCMs) include any material that comes into contact with food during production, processing, storage, preparation or serving — including packaging, processing equipment surfaces, kitchen utensils, coatings and printing inks. Chemical substances from these materials can migrate into the food and potentially affect consumer health.

🌡️ Factors that increase migration
High temperature · long contact time · acidic or fatty food · thin packaging · high surface-to-volume ratio
⚗️ What migrates
Monomers · plasticisers · stabilisers · antioxidants · slip agents · printing inks · adhesive residues · pigments · mineral oils
⚖️ The two migration limits
Overall Migration Limit (OML): total transfer ≤ 10 mg/dm² or 60 mg/kg food.
Specific Migration Limit (SML): compound-specific threshold defined by regulation.
Paper and cardboard packaging — specific migration testing
Service 1
📄 Paper & Cardboard Migration Testing
European directives and guidelines · mineral oils · BPA · heavy metals

Biogroup carries out specific migration tests for paper and cardboard containers and packaging materials in accordance with European directives and guidelines. Analysis of additives, monomers, inks, pigments and adhesives used in packaging that comes into contact with food.

Chemical components tested at specific migration limits:
🛢️ Mineral oils (MOSH/MOAH)
🔬 4-Methylbenzophenone
☀️ Benzophenone (photoinitiator)
🧪 Bisphenol A (BPA)
🧫 Formaldehyde
🌿 Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
⚗️ Heavy metals — Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr(VI)
🦠 Antimicrobial activity (PAA)
💊 Anthraquinone
🎨 Printing inks & pigments
🔩 Adhesive residues
🧴 Coatings & varnishes
Mineral oils (MOSH/MOAH) — one of the most regulated contaminants in paper and cardboard packaging. Mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) can migrate from recycled paperboard into dry foods. Biogroup determines MOSH/MOAH by LC-GC-FID as required by the German BfR recommendations and EFSA guidance.
Plastic materials — specific migration testing (EN-13130 / EU 10/2011)
EN-13130 specific migration testing for plastic food contact materials
Specific Migration Limits (SMLs) are defined in EU Regulation 10/2011 for individual substances used in plastic food contact materials. Biogroup tests all regulated substances and can develop analytical methods for compounds where no standardised protocol yet exists.
Specific migration components tested under EN-13130 / EU Regulation 10/2011
🧪 Monomers & intermediates
• Terephthalic acid / Isophthalic acid (PET packaging)
• Maleic acid / Maleic anhydride
• 1,3-Butadiene (ABS, SAN, rubber-modified plastics)
• Caprolactam (nylon/PA packaging)
• Vinyl chloride (PVC)
• Styrene (PS, ABS packaging)
🔬 Endocrine disruptors & plasticisers
• Bisphenol A (BPA) — SML 0.05 mg/kg
• Bisphenol F (BPF) · Bisphenol S (BPS)
• Phthalates — DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP
• Epoxidized Soybean Oil (ESBO) — PVC plasticiser
• Adipates — DEHA, DIBA
• Tributyltin compounds
☠️ Hazardous compounds
• Total Primary Aromatic Amines (PAAs) — SML ND (<0.01 mg/kg)
• Isocyanates (polyurethane adhesives & coatings)
• Formaldehyde (melamine, urea-formaldehyde resins)
• Acetaldehyde (PET)
• 4-Nonylphenol · Octylphenol
💎 Trace metals & inorganic substances
• Heavy metals: As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr(VI), Ni, Sb, Ba
• Trace metal analysis — all regulated SMLs
• Antimony (Sb) from PET catalyst residues
• Tin compounds (organotin stabilisers in PVC)
• By ICP-MS / ICP-OES / AAS
No standard method available? — When no specific test method exists for a particular contaminant, Biogroup develops the analytical technique that best meets the regulatory requirement, using its full range of instrumentation (HPLC-MS/MS, GC-MS, ICP-MS, GC-FID).
Global migration testing — EN-1186 / Overall Migration Limit
EN-1186
⚗️ Global Migration — OML Testing for All Food Contact Materials
All simulants · all conditions · OML ≤ 10 mg/dm² · containers & kitchen utensils

Biogroup performs global migration tests for all simulants under a wide range of test conditions, depending on the intended use of the food contact material. Our tests cover all material types intended to be in contact with food — plastics, paper, cardboard, metals, ceramics, glass and multi-material laminates.

Test conditions — Standard time/temperature combinations:
10 d / 40°C — Long-term ambient storage
2 h / 70°C — Hot-filled products
1 h / 100°C — Boiling water contact
0.5 h / 121°C — Sterilisation / retort
2 h / 175°C — Oven cooking
2 min / 220°C — Microwave / grill
Food simulants — the five official simulants for migration testing
Simulants reproduce food contact conditions in the laboratory
The correct simulant selection depends on the type of food the packaging will contain — water-based, acidic, alcoholic or fatty. Each simulant challenges the packaging material under conditions representative of actual food contact. Defined by EU Regulation 10/2011 Annex III.
A
Non-acidic aqueous foods
Distilled or deionised water
Food types: Water · mineral water · soft drinks · beer · milk-based beverages
B
Acidic aqueous foods
3% (m/v) acetic acid solution in deionised water
Food types: Vinegar · fruit juices · wine · tomato products · acidic beverages
C
Alcoholic foods
10% (v/v) ethanol in deionised water (adjusted to actual ethanol content if >10%)
Food types: Wine · beer · spirits · fermented products · alcohol-containing foods
D
Fatty foods
95% (v/v) ethanol · or isooctane · or MPPO (modified polyphenylene oxide)
Food types: Oils · fats · butter · cream · meat · cheese · chocolate · fatty products
D'
Fat simulant equivalent (D')
Edible oils (olive oil, sunflower oil, maize oil) or synthetic triglyceride mixtures
Food types: Alternative to simulant D — used when direct D simulant is impractical or specified by regulation
Regulatory frameworks — national and international coverage
🇦🇷 Argentine / MERCOSUR
• CAA — Código Alimentario Argentino (Chapter IV)
• ANMAT — Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos
• ASSAL — Agencia Santafesina de Seguridad Alimentaria
• MERCOSUR GMC Res. 32/10 — Plastics in contact with food
• MERCOSUR GMC Res. 56/92 — Paper and cardboard
• Resolution SENASA 530/2011
🇪🇺 European Union
• EU Reg. 1935/2004 — Framework regulation on FCMs
• EU Reg. 10/2011 — Plastic FCMs (SMLs, OML)
• EN-1186 — Global migration testing
• EN-13130 — Specific migration (plastics)
• 2002/72/EC — Directives on plastic materials
• BfR recommendations — Paper and board (Germany)
🇺🇸 United States — FDA
• 21 CFR Parts 170–189 — Food additives
• 21 CFR 175–178 — Indirect food additives (polymers)
• FDA FCN — Food Contact Notifications
• GRAS — Generally Recognised As Safe
• FDA guidance — Threshold of Regulation (TOR)
• FDA CFSAN compliance testing guidance
Bisphenol A (BPA) — the most closely regulated migrant in food packaging
BPA — Bisphenol A analysis in food contact materials
SML: 0.05 mg/kg food (EU 10/2011) · banned in baby bottles worldwide · HPLC-MS/MS detection at <5 µg/kg
Where BPA is found in packaging
• Epoxy resin can coatings — the largest source of dietary BPA exposure
• Polycarbonate (PC) containers — water dispensers, food containers
• Paper and board — thermal receipt paper, coated food board
• PVC gaskets — jar lids and bottle caps
• Food processing equipment — conveyor belts, tubing
Regulatory status worldwide
• EU: SML 0.05 mg/kg · banned in baby bottles since 2011 · EFSA re-evaluation 2023
• USA (FDA): No longer authorised in baby bottles and sippy cups
• Canada: Declared toxic substance — banned in baby bottles
• Argentina (CAA): SML aligned with MERCOSUR standards
• China: Banned in baby bottles since 2011
Food contact materials we test
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PET bottles & trays
Beverages · dairy · ready meals
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Flexible plastic films
PE · PP · PA · PVC · multilayer laminates
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Rigid plastic containers
PS · ABS · PC · HDPE · PP
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Paper & paperboard
Food board · greaseproof · baking paper
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Cardboard cartons
Liquid cartons · dry food boxes · recycled board
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Metal packaging
Cans · lids · aluminium foil · coated metals
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Ceramics & glassware
Glazed ceramics · decorated glass
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Kitchen utensils
Cutting boards · spatulas · cookware coatings
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Multi-material laminates
Retort pouches · vacuum packs · active packaging
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Coatings & adhesives
Can coatings · bottle cap liners · lamination adhesives
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Printing inks
Food packaging inks · set-off contamination
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Recycled materials
Recycled PET · post-consumer recycled board
Analytical methods and reference organisations
Biogroup applies internationally validated methods from the leading standardisation organisations
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
EN-1186 (global migration) · EN-13130 (specific migration) · ISO 6579 · food safety standards
EU Regulations
European Union Food Law
EU 10/2011 (plastics) · EU 1935/2004 (framework) · Annexes I–IV · positive lists
FDA
Food and Drug Administration
21 CFR Parts 175–178 · indirect food additives · GRAS determinations · threshold of regulation
AOAC
Association of Official Analytical Chemists
Official Methods of Analysis · validated methods for food contaminants
AFNOR
Association française de Normalisation
French standards for food contact materials · EN standards implementation
APHA
Standard Methods (AWWA/APHA/WEF)
Water and wastewater analytical methods applied to aqueous simulants
USP
U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention
Pharmaceutical-grade analytical methods for high-purity applications
BP
British Pharmacopoeia
British pharmacopoeial methods
FNA
Farmacopea Nacional Argentina
Argentine national pharmacopoeia standards
Applications — when migration testing is required or recommended
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Packaging manufacturers
Compliance testing for new materials before market launch. Change in formulation or supplier requires re-testing under EN-1186/EN-13130 and EU 10/2011.
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Food companies
Supplier qualification for packaging materials. Due diligence for own-label products. Regulatory compliance for export markets — EU, USA, Canada, China, Japan.
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Export market access
European Union and US import requirements for food contact materials. Results aligned with EU 10/2011 and FDA 21 CFR to support customs clearance and buyer qualification.
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Contamination investigation
Identification of the cause of taint, off-flavour or consumer complaint attributed to packaging migration. Biogroup investigates the migration pathway, not just the concentration.
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Recycled material qualification
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and board must demonstrate that contaminants from prior use do not migrate to food. Critical for sustainable packaging compliance.
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Regulatory audits & ANMAT
ANMAT and ASSAL inspections may require migration test certificates. ASSAL-accredited results carry the highest evidentiary weight in Argentine regulatory proceedings.
Why Biogroup for migration analysis
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ASSAL accreditation
The accreditation required by Argentine food safety authorities. Results accepted by ANMAT, ASSAL and export market regulators in EU and USA.
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Three regulatory frameworks
Knowledge of CAA/MERCOSUR, EU 10/2011 and FDA requirements — enabling simultaneous compliance for domestic and export markets.
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Root cause investigation
Not just concentration measurement — Biogroup investigates why a substance migrates, enabling targeted corrective action in formulation or process.
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Full analytical instrumentation
HPLC-MS/MS for BPA and PAAs · GC-MS for volatile migrants · ICP-MS for trace metals · LC-GC-FID for mineral oils — complete analytical capability.
Related services
ASSAL Accredited · EN-1186 · EN-13130 · EU 10/2011 · FDA · CAA · BPA
Need migration testing for your food contact material?
From a BPA determination in a single material sample to a full multi-simulant global migration study under EN-1186 — Biogroup delivers ASSAL-accredited results for Argentine, European and US regulatory requirements.
Request migration testing →
📞 +54 341 425-6431 📞 +54 341 447-4486 ✉ biogroup@biogroup.com.ar 📍 3 de febrero 920 · Rosario, Argentina Mon–Fri 08:00–17:00