What We Test at Our Ingredient Analysis and Food Testing Laboratory

Medallion Labs: Your Partner in Food Testing

For over 150 years, Medallion Labs has been a trusted provider of food analysis testing services for food companies. Our ISO-accredited laboratory offers a wide range of testing capabilities using rigorous methodologies, serving a diverse clientele and a broad spectrum of food products and ingredients. However, there are some types of testing and products we are unable to accommodate. This blog post will clarify our most frequently requested tests, detail important considerations for each, and outline the limitations of our services. This information will help you determine if Medallion Labs is the right partner for your testing needs and ensure a smooth sample submission process.

1. Nutritional Label Testing: Ensuring Compliance and Accuracy

Nutritional label testing is our most popular service. As an ISO-accredited lab, we are experts in ensuring your labels comply with FDA and USDA regulations. Accurate nutritional labeling is crucial for consumer safety and informed dietary choices.

We can test a wide variety of food products, but additional information may be required for certain samples, such as supplements, alcoholic beverages, and CBD products, to ensure the appropriate testing methods are used and reporting needs are met.

Products We Cannot Test for Nutritional Labeling:

• Pet food
• Pharmaceuticals and drugs
• Cleaning products (e.g., washer fluid)
• Chemicals and solvents
• Soil samples
• Cosmetics and skincare products
• Biohazardous materials

Need Nutritional Label Testing?

2. Specialized Testing: Tailored Solutions for Specific Needs

Medallion Labs offers nearly 30 specialized assays, and our capabilities often extend beyond this list. We work closely with clients to understand their goals and ensure results are delivered in a meaningful and useful format.

For matrices not listed in our technical data sheets, please contact us. Our team will determine if our methods are validated for your specific product. Providing a complete ingredient list is extremely helpful, especially for finished products.

Products We Cannot Test for Specialized Assays:

• Biohazardous materials
• See specific limitations listed in our technical data sheets

Contact us to discuss your specialized testing needs.

3. Physical Property Testing: Understanding Your Product's Characteristics

Our physical property testing begins with a consultation to define testing goals and reporting requirements. This ensures our protocols directly address your specific questions.

We offer 19 physical testing options designed for food products. While we can often adapt methodologies for specific matrices, limitations may exist based on product parameters. For example, some tests require ambient temperatures, making them unsuitable for frozen products like ice cream.

Products We Cannot Test for Physical Properties:

• Biohazardous materials

View our physical property testing options

4. Microbiology Testing: Ensuring Food Safety and Quality

Medallion Labs provides 18 microbiology testing options to help you meet expectations, mitigate food safety risks, and adhere to regulatory guidelines.

Important Note: Microbiology testing requires approximately 100g of sample per test to ensure representative analysis, as microorganisms often grow in localized areas ("hot spots"). Customers submitting samples for both microbial and chemistry-based assays should ensure sufficient sample quantity.

Products We Cannot Test for Microbiology:

• Large samples (e.g., 50lb bags)
• Products linked to food poisoning incidents
• Products with visible spoilage or confirmed microbe activity
• Products containing highly hazardous microbes
• Biohazardous materials

Important: Medallion Labs cannot return samples after testing. Samples should never be consumed by humans or animals.

Understanding Customer Input: Key to Accurate Results

Several of our specialized tests require questionnaires to be completed before sample submission. While our questionnaires are comprehensive, some tests need additional information for accurate analysis.

Tests Requiring Additional Details:

• Flavor Characterization Testing: A mandatory questionnaire determines testability and the need for controls.
• Shelf-Life Testing: A questionnaire is essential for custom protocol development. A follow-up call may be necessary.
• Special Preparation Requests: Samples are typically tested as received. Special preparation instructions with associated fees will extend turnaround time.

Testing Limitations: What We Don't Do

While our services are extensive, some requests fall outside our capabilities.

Products and Services We Do Not Offer:

• Functional Foods (with exceptions): We support testing for total polyphenols, carotenoids, phenolic acids, amino acids, fatty acids (including omega fatty acids), vitamins, nutritional panels, and lactobacteria. Anything not listed here is likely outside of our scope.
• Supplements: We offer limited supplement testing but do not provide supplement labeling or specific supplement methodology testing.
• Makeup and Cosmetics: We only test food items.
• Alcohol: We can handle beverages with low alcohol content (<1% ABV), such as kombucha, but we do not calculate calories or carbohydrates for alcoholic products.
• Pet Food: We do not support pet food labeling requirements but can provide specialty testing (e.g., rancidity, enzymes, shelf life).

Partnering for Success

Medallion Labs is committed to providing accurate and reliable results. For the most up-to-date information on our testing capabilities, please refer to our technical data sheets and online order form. We strive to help you maximize your testing budget while achieving your goals.

Contact us today! Call 1-800-245-5615 or visit our website to discuss your food testing needs.