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Analytical chemistry
Product Composition, Quality, Contaminant, and Identity Testing
Not every product question is microbiological. Chemical characteristics can influence how a product is formulated, processed, stored, labeled, and evaluated over time.
At Biotrax, we provide third-party analytical chemistry testing for foods, beverages, ingredients, raw materials, in-process samples, and finished products. Testing may help clients evaluate product composition, verify specifications, compare suppliers or production lots, investigate quality concerns, monitor stability, and assess selected contaminants.
Analytical testing should be selected around the product, sample matrix, target analyte, and purpose of the result. Tell us what you are testing and what you need to learn so our team can help clarify available methods, sample requirements, and an appropriate testing path.
WHEN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY TESTING MAY HELP
Food manufacturers, beverage producers, product developers, and quality teams may request analytical testing to:
- Evaluate whether a product or ingredient meets an internal or customer specification.
- Compare raw materials, suppliers, formulations, or production lots.
- Monitor moisture, water activity, soluble solids, oxidation, or nutrient content.
- Quantify caffeine in beverages, ingredients, concentrates, powders, or finished products.
- Verify caffeine levels against a formulation, customer specification, or declared product amount.
- Investigate unexpected flavor, odor, texture, stability, or appearance changes.
- Evaluate ingredients or products for selected mycotoxins or heavy metals.
- Support shelf-life, packaging, or formulation studies.
- Confirm product identity or investigate possible adulteration.
- Generate laboratory data for Nutrition Facts development.
- Review a complaint, supplier concern, or unexpected analytical result.
The appropriate analysis depends on the question your team needs to answer. One test rarely provides a complete picture of product quality, safety, composition, or compliance.
ANALYTICAL SUPPORT THAT EXTENDS BEYOND ONE METHOD
Biotrax performs selected analytical tests within our laboratory and coordinates other analyses through qualified partner laboratories when appropriate.
Before testing is arranged, our team can help clarify:
- Whether the analysis is performed in-house or coordinated externally.
- Which method and sample matrix apply.
- The required sample quantity.
- Expected turnaround.
- Available reporting limits.
- Whether a particular accreditation or certification is required.
- How the completed results will be reported.
When a requested test is outside our available capabilities, we will communicate that clearly and help identify an appropriate testing resource when possible.
PRODUCT QUALITY & COMPOSITION TESTING
MOISTURE content (%)
Moisture content measures the total amount of water present in a product, generally expressed as a percentage of its total wet weight or dry matter.
Moisture content can impact product weight, yield, texture, crispness, softness, flow, clumping, stability, and shelf life. Testing may support incoming-ingredient specifications, formulation comparisons, production consistency, packaging evaluations, and investigation of quality changes.
Moisture content is not the same as water activity. Two products can contain similar amounts of total moisture while differing significantly in how much of that water is available to support microbial growth or chemical reactions.
WATER ACTIVITY
Water Activity (aw) measures the availability of free water in a food for microbial growth and chemical reactions, defined as the ratio of water vapor pressure in the food to that of pure water.
Testing may help evaluate shelf stability, microbial-growth potential, formulation changes, moisture migration, packaging performance, and whether a product remains within an established specification. Water activity is especially useful when product safety or stability depends on controlling available moisture rather than total moisture alone.
A water-activity result may be interpreted together with the product formulation, pH, processing method, packaging, storage conditions, and relevant microbial hazards.
BRIX/SOLUBLE SOLIDS
Brix testing measures soluble solids in a liquid using refractive properties. In many beverages, juices, syrups, concentrates, and liquid ingredients, the result is commonly used as an estimate of sugar concentration or total soluble-solid content.
Testing may support formulation control, batch consistency, ingredient concentration, ripeness evaluation, dilution checks, and comparison of finished beverages or syrups.
For complex products, a Brix result should not automatically be treated as an exact measurement of sugar because acids, salts, and other dissolved substances may also affect the reading.
PEROXIDE VALUE
Peroxide value measures primary oxidation products that form during the early stages of fat and oil deterioration.
Testing may help evaluate ingredient freshness, oxidative stability, packaging performance, storage conditions, or differences between suppliers and production lots. It may be especially relevant to oils, fats, nuts, snacks, baked products, dressings, and other products susceptible to oxidative rancidity.
Peroxide value reflects an early stage of oxidation. It does not by itself describe every stage of rancidity or determine the complete shelf life of a product.
CAFFEINE
Caffeine testing measures the concentration of caffeine in an applicable beverage, liquid concentrate, powder, or finished product.
Testing may support formulation verification, product development, batch-to-batch consistency, supplier or ingredient review, customer specifications, and investigation of an unexpected caffeine result. It may also provide analytical data for companies that choose to communicate a specific caffeine amount on a product label or in supporting product information.
Caffeine analysis may be relevant to:
- Coffee and coffee-based beverages
- Tea and tea-based beverages
- Energy drinks
- Soft drinks and flavored beverages
- Concentrates and beverage bases
- Powders and dry mixes
- Other formulated caffeinated beverage products containing naturally occurring or added caffeine
Before submitting a sample, tell us the product type, expected caffeine range, desired reporting units, serving size, and whether the caffeine is naturally occurring, intentionally added, or contributed by multiple ingredients.
A caffeine result applies to the tested sample. The manufacturer remains responsible for determining how the result is used in formulation, specifications, product claims, and labeling.
VITAMIN C/ASCORBIC ACID
Vitamin C testing measures the concentration of ascorbic acid in an applicable product or ingredient.
Testing may support formulation verification, nutrient-content evaluation, stability studies, supplier review, label-development activities, and comparison of results throughout storage. Vitamin C can decrease through exposure to oxygen, light, heat, processing, and extended storage.
The appropriate method and interpretation depend on the product matrix, form of vitamin C present, reporting needs, and intended use of the result.
IDENTITY & CONTAMINANT TESTING
SPECIES IDENTIFICATION
Species-identification testing evaluates the biological species present in an applicable submitted sample.
Testing may support product-authenticity questions, supplier verification, investigation of possible substitution, confirmation of an unexpected material, or evaluation of a species-related customer requirement.
The available method depends on the product, suspected species, degree of processing, and condition of the sample. Highly processed products may require different analytical considerations than raw or minimally processed materials.
Contact Biotrax before submitting so the sample matrix, target species, available method, and reporting expectations can be reviewed.
HEAVY-METAL TESTING
Heavy-metal testing measures selected elemental contaminants in foods, ingredients, or raw materials.
Testing may support supplier verification, contaminant assessment, customer specifications, risk-based monitoring, and investigation of materials associated with possible environmental or processing-related exposure.
The appropriate analytes, reporting limits, method, and sample quantity depend on the product and reason for testing. Contact Biotrax to confirm which metals are included in the available testing panel before submitting samples.
NUTRITION LABEL SUPPORT
NUTRITION FACTS
Laboratory analysis can provide measured nutrient data to support development of an FDA-format Nutrition Facts label.
This option may be useful when a company prefers analytical measurements rather than relying only on recipe or database calculations, or when processing, ingredient variability, or formulation complexity makes measured data valuable.
Before testing begins, the following should be discussed:
- Product formulation
- Serving size and container information
- Preparation instructions, when applicable
- Nutrients to be analyzed
- Product and lot variability
- Number of representative samples
- Required reporting format
- Intended use of the data
Laboratory data can support Nutrition Facts development, but the manufacturer remains responsible for the finished label’s accuracy, format, serving information, ingredient declaration, product claims, and regulatory compliance.
WHAT TO TELL US BEFORE ANALYTICAL TESTING
Before submitting a sample, tell us:
- What the product, ingredient, or raw material is.
- Whether it is incoming, in process, or finished.
- Which analyte or characteristic you need to evaluate.
- What prompted the testing request.
- The expected concentration or formulation target, when known.
- The desired reporting units.
- Whether an internal, customer, or regulatory specification applies.
- Whether a specific method or reporting limit is required.
- How the product was processed and stored.
- Whether the result supports development, release, shelf life, investigation, labeling, or supplier review.
- Whether an accredited result is required.
- When the result is needed.
Sample quantities and handling requirements vary considerably by analysis and product matrix.
Contact Biotrax before collection or shipment when the correct sample amount, packaging, temperature, method, reporting limit, or laboratory scope is uncertain.
NEED AN ANALYSIS THAT IS NOT LISTED?
Analytical testing needs can vary widely by product, ingredient, target compound, customer requirement, reporting limit, and intended market.
When an analysis is not shown on this page, contact Biotrax before assuming it is unavailable. Depending on the request, we may be able to:
- Perform the analysis within our laboratory
- Coordinate testing through a qualified partner laboratory
- Help clarify the method or reporting requirements
- Direct you toward another appropriate testing resource
Provide the analyte, product matrix, expected concentration, required method, reporting limit, and intended use of the result whenever that information is available.
NOT SURE WHICH ANALYTICAL TEST FITS YOUR PRODUCT?
Tell us what you are testing, which characteristic or contaminant you need to evaluate, and how the result will be used.
Our team can help clarify the available analysis, method, sample requirements, reporting options, laboratory scope, and whether the work will be performed in-house or coordinated through a qualified partner laboratory.
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