Heavy Metals & Chemistry
For the Food & Beverage Industry
Fat
Heavy Metals & Food Chemistry Testing
AEMTEK provides a range of chemistry testing including Heavy Metals, protein, fat analysis, and more. Our in-house chemistry testing for food and beverage products enables us to be your one-stop shop for all routine testing needs.
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RELIABLE DATA All analyses are performed using strictly validated methods |
FAST TAT 5 Business Day Standard Turnaround |
RESULTS ONLINE Results in user-friendly language and format are sent right to your email |
Heavy Metals
Heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic, mercury and lead are all considered toxic and have adverse effects in human metabolism.
Heavy metals in the environment enter the food chain when they bio-accumulate in plants and animals that become food sources. Testing ingredients and finished products for concentrations of heavy metal contamination is an important part of ensuring the food is safe for consumption.
Accurately quantifying heavy metals is not only vital to food safety and consumer health, but can also help identify contaminants and provide important data for process improvement and chemical product formulation development. In addition, it can be used to deter fraudulent labeling of a food’s origin, since the metal content can be used to identify derivation.
Method for Heavy Metal Analysis:
AEMTEK analyzes heavy metals by ICP-MS. Our ICP-MS can detect up to 30 elements. This system offers accurate multi-element determinations to the parts-per-billion (ppb) level with a wide linear range. For samples that are not easily solubilized, we utilize an Anton Paar closed-vessel microwave digestion system.
Sensitivity and Detection Limits:
| Element | Detection Limit for Food (ppm) | Detection Limit for Water (ppb) |
| Arsenic | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Cadmium | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Chromium | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Lead | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Mercury | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Selenium | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Cerium | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Cobalt | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Manganese | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Nickel | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Zinc | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Potassium | 2 | 2 |
| Calcium | 2 | 2 |
| Iron | 2 | 2 |
| Sodium | 2 | 2 |
| Magnesium | 2 | 2 |
| Aluminum | 2 | 2 |
Food Chemistry
AEMTEK utilizes the latest technologies for accurate chemistry analysis with rapid turnaround times. Common analyses include:
Oil Uptake Testing
What is Oil Uptake testing?
Oil Uptake testing is a means of identifying the nutritional information of a product after frying.
For which products is Oil Uptake testing applicable?
This method is applicable for fried products where the nutritional information of the unfried product and oil used for frying are both known.
How is Oil Uptake testing performed?
When performing Oil Uptake testing, our laboratory analyzes a raw (unfried) and fried sample of the same product. Both samples are tested for Moisture and Fat content. This data is then used by AEMTEK to calculate the amount of oil that was absorbed during the frying process. Knowing the amount of oil absorbed during frying enables us to accurately calculate the nutritional value of the product after frying. This replaces the need to send fried products out for full nutritional analysis, which can cost upwards of $1,000 per product.
Why is Oil Uptake testing better than Full Nutritional Analysis?
Full nutritional analysis can cost upwards of $1,000 per product. In contrast, Oil Uptake testing provides the nutritional information of products, after frying, at about 20% of the cost.
What is the cost of oil uptake testing per product?
Please contact us for current pricing.
Analyses are performed using various standard methods. We employ rigid quality assurance guidelines in all testing. We offer rush turnaround options timely results. Reports are electronically generated in a user-friendly language and format. In addition, our scientists are always ready to answer your questions and address your concerns.
