Analysis of baby food

The production of baby food places high demands not only on production and agriculture, but also on the quality and experience of a service laboratory. Legislation also considers infants and young children to be a population group that is particularly worthy of protection, since the ratio of food intake to body weight is not so high at any other stage of life. Possible toxic residues from cultivation or production must accordingly be reduced to a greater extent than is necessary for other foods. In order to limit pesticide residues, in particular, already during production, organically produced foods are often used. Other contaminants such as heavy metals and mycotoxins, although they can be influenced by cultivation and storage conditions, are definitely more difficult to regulate and are subject to greater fluctuations.

For baby foods in particular, there are also detailed specifications in Regulation (EU) 2016/127 as to the nutrient and vitamin content that the foods, which are mostly used as exclusive foods, must fulfill. This means all labels must be confirmed by precise scientific measurement by an accredited laboratory. For vulnerable groups such as infants and people requiring clinical nutrition, nutrients must be very specifically and accurately quantified, even and especially at very low concentrations.

The analysis of complex food matrices for macro- and micronutrients requires special expertise in the laboratory. Eurofins laboratories for food and feed analysis in Germany have capabilities to analyze the full spectrum of nutrients in foods and their raw materials, including vegetables, fruits, dairy products, oils and fats, cereals and flour.

Our experts have many years of expertise in assisting with the development of a monitoring plan tailored to the needs of baby food.

Legal bases and guidelines

• Regulation (EU) 2016/127 (specific compositional and information requirements for infant formula and follow-on formula, consolidated text)
• Commission Directive 2006/125/EC (processed cereal-based foods and baby foods for infants and young children)
• Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council (maximum residue levels of pesticides)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 (Contaminants-Regulation)
• Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 (consolidated text) (microbiological criteria for foodstuffs)
• Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• Verordnung über Lebensmittel für bestimmte Verbrauchergruppen (LMBVV) (German)

Membership and approvals of individual Eurofins laboratories^(*)

• Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh)
• Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh), Lebensmittelchemische Gesellschaft (LChG)

Other interesting pages

^(*)Find more details about memberships of our individual laboratories at www.eurofins.de/food-analysis/laboratories

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