Case Studies

Foreign materials in products can be dangerous to consumers and damage a brand's reputation. At Eurofins, our team of experts is equipped to identify the cause of contamination and help come up with the ideal solution for you. The case study outlines our approach to identifying the source of microbial contamination in bottled juice, and how we work with clients to prevent future issues.

Foreign materials in products can be dangerous to consumers and damage a brand's reputation. At Eurofins, we have the expertise and experience to handle all kinds of foreign material investigations, including contamination of finished products, like cheese. This case study explains how we helped a client determine the source of foreign material contamination and eliminate future issues using microscopy and elemental analysis.

Foreign materials and off-odor or off-flavors in a product may result in loss of consumer trust or a damaged brand reputation. In the worst cases, these issues can be dangerous. The first step in eliminating foreign material and off-odor or off-flavor risk is understanding the sources of contamination, including packaging and production issues and chemical and microbial contamination. This blog explains the benefits of foreign material, off-odor, and off-flavor analysis, the sources of contamination, and the tests available for testing.

We recently hosted a webinar titled "GC-MS Techniques for Troubleshooting Off-Flavor, Off-Odor, and Flavor Scalping in Foods and Beverages Webinar." This Q&A with Dr. Jamie Willems provides a deeper look in to common questions associated with GC-MS, contaminant detection, and out capabilities at Eurofins.

When a product doesn't taste or smell right, it is a good indicator of contamination or packaging and processing issues. GCMS analysis is reliable method for finding the cause of off-odor or flavor and getting your products back to normal! This infographic provides an overview and a case study of how GCMS is used for off-odor and flavor analysis.

This webinar discusses the risks of foreign materials in food, beverages, ingredients, dietary supplements, and ways to mitigate risks in your supply chain and production process. Also, analytical techniques for foreign material, unknown object isolation, and positive identification.   Original airdate August 17, 2022.

Learn about frequent causes of off-flavor, off-odor, and flavor scalping in packaged foods, beverages, and pet food products, including analytical techniques ranging from GCMS to ICP to LCMSMS for troubleshooting and detection, with a focus on SPME-GC-MS analysis. Learn how improper product packaging, production, or transportation issues can cause your product to be recalled. Factors that can negatively impact flavor and aroma. The analytical techniques range from GCMS to ICP to LCMSMS for troubleshooting and detection.

Your goal is to manufacture a safe product that meets the claims on your label.  How are you ensuring that your finished product will do this?  Proactively, or retroactively?  Putting a proactive plan in place to assess ingredient safety and quality is key to producing finished products that meet all of your quality standards.  Having a partnership with an accredited, independent (third-party) laboratory just in case something goes wrong is a must.

How can FT-IR be used for identifying foreign material in my product? David Riggs, President of Eurofins SF Analytical discusses this topic in this short video. Eurofins publishes our Ask an Expert Series weekly on our social media platforms.

How do you determine the identity of a unknown material I found in my product? Patricia Quinn from Eurofins SF Analytical in New Berlin, WI discusses this topic in this short video. Eurofins publishes our Ask an Expert Series weekly on our social media platforms.