What are the food grade testing standards for LFGB in Germany?

1. What is LFGB

LFGB is the abbreviation of the German Food and Commodity Law, formerly known as LMBG

LFGB is an important basic legal document in the management of food hygiene in Germany, serving as the guideline and core for the formulation of other specialized food hygiene laws and regulations. In recent years, the LFGB regulations have also been modified, mainly to match the new EU standards. The LFGB regulations have made general and basic provisions on the safety requirements of food and various daily necessities in contact with it. All food and food related daily necessities in the German market must comply with the basic provisions of the LFGB.

Daily necessities or related materials in contact with food that have passed LFGB testing and comply with the German Food and Daily Necessities Law can be certified as "products without chemical toxic substances" by an authorized institution through an LMBG/LFGB testing report, and are allowed to be sold in the German market.


2. The meaning of the LFGB knife and fork logo

The LFGB knife and fork logo is a food safety symbol. If there is an LFGB knife and fork mark on daily necessities that come into contact with food, it means that the product has passed LFGB testing and meets German and European standards, meets the requirements of German LFGB regulations, proves that it does not contain toxic substances that pose a threat to human health, and can be sold in German and other European markets. In the European market, products with the LFG8 knife and fork logo can enhance customer confidence and purchasing desire, and are a powerful market tool that can greatly increase the competitiveness of the product in the market.

3. Product range of LFGB test cover

The common LFGB testing is mainly aimed at materials that come into contact with food, that is, those that come into direct or potential contact with food must meet the testing requirements of LFGB, so there is no clear product scope limit for LFGB testing.

According to the existing LFGB regulations and laboratory testing capabilities, the LFGB testing conducted by Jietong Certified Testing Company mainly includes the following eight categories

LFGB testing for plastic products - LFGB testing for ceramic and glass products - LFGB testing for rubber and silicone rubber products - LFGB testing for textiles

Metal Products LFGB Testing - Bamboo and Wood Products LFGB Testing - Coating Products LFGB Testing - Paper Products LFGB Testing


4. Specific testing requirements for testing items and common materials included in LFGB testing

Generally, Articles 30 and 31 of the LFGB German Food and Daily Necessities Law include the following test items (1) preliminary inspection of samples and materials

(2) Sensory evaluation of odor and taste transfer

(3) Plastic samples: testing for transferable components and testing for extractable heavy metals

(4) Metals: Testing for Composition and Extractable Heavy Metals

(5) Silicone resin: testing for transferable or volatile organic compounds

(6) Special materials: Chemical hazard testing according to German chemical laws

5. General Material LFGB Testing Project Requirements

1. General plastic products: comprehensive migration testing is required, including sensory testing, PVC plastic products comprehensive migration testing, vinyl chloride monomer testing, peroxide value testing, sensory testing, melamine resin products comprehensive migration testing, formaldehyde dissolution testing, and sensory testing.

2. PE plastic products: comprehensive migration testing, peroxide value testing, chromium content testing, vanadium content testing, zirconium content testing, sensory testing.

3. PS, ABS, SAN, Acrylic plastic products: comprehensive migration testing, peroxide value testing, total organic volatile matter (VOM), sensory testing.

4. PA and PU plastic products: comprehensive migration test, peroxide value test, aromatic amine migration test, sensory test.

5. PET plastic products: comprehensive migration test, zinc content test, lead content test, comprehensive migration test, peroxide value test.

6. Silicone rubber products: 3 comprehensive migration tests, (VOM) organic volatile matter content, peroxide value test, organic tin compound test, sensory test

7. Rubber products: 3 comprehensive migration tests, formaldehyde dissolution test, zinc content test, lead content test, aromatic amine migration test, nitrosamine content test, and sensory test.

8. Paper products: (PCP) phenol test, (pb cd hg CrVl) heavy metal (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium) release, antibacterial component migration test, formaldehyde content test, glyoxal release test, colored paper products - additional azo dye test.

9. Products with non stick coating (non stick pot): 5 comprehensive migration tests, phenol dissolution test, formaldehyde dissolution test, aromatic amine dissolution test, (Vl) hexavalent chromium dissolution test, (lll) trivalent chromium dissolution test, PFOA perfluorooctanoic acid ammonium test, sensory test.

10 Metals, alloys, and electroplated products: heavy metal dissolution (lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel) testing, sensory testing. PP plastic products: comprehensive migration testing, chromium content testing, vanadium content testing, zirconium content testing, sensory testing.

11. Baked paper products: appearance, thermal stability, antibacterial component migration test, (PCBs) chlorobiphenyl test, formaldehyde release test, sensory test.

12. Wood products: (PCP) phenol test, formaldehyde release test, sensory test

13. Ceramic, glass, and enamel products: Lead and cadmium dissolution test for parts in contact with food, and additional lead and cadmium dissolution test for cups.