Dosage of QM, QMS criteria

Materials and objects intended for food contact must meet strict requirements to ensure consumer health safety. These requirements include the QM (Maximum Quantity) and QMS (Specific Maximum Quantity) , which correspond to the regulatory limits imposed for residual substances present in materials. These criteria ensure that components likely to migrate into foodstuffs do not exceed the thresholds defined by European regulations. The determination of QM and QMS criteria is therefore an essential step in the quality control and marketing of packaging, coatings and materials in contact with food.

Analytical methods for QM and QMS determination

The choice of analytical method depends on the nature of the substances sought and the material studied.

• HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) : suitable for the detection of organic substances such as additives or residual monomers.
• LC-GC-FID (Liquid Chromatography coupled with Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection) : used for the analysis of volatile or semi-volatile compounds in polymers and coatings.
• ICP-MS and ICP-AES/ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass or Atomic Emission Spectrometry) : applied to the determination of inorganic elements and trace metals that can migrate from materials to foodstuffs.
• GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) and LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) : for sensitive and specific detection of regulated organic substances.

These methods complement the analyses already widely used in the control of food packaging, such as HPLC and ICP-MS.

Industrial and regulatory applications

The dosage of QM and QMS criteria concerns the entire industrial chain linked to packaging and materials in contact with food:

• Manufacturers of plastic packaging, paper, inks and varnishes : to validate the compliance of their products with European standards.
• Food industry manufacturers : to ensure that the packaging used meets specific migration limits.
• Distributors and importers : to verify regulatory compliance of materials from external suppliers.
• R&D laboratories : to assess the impact of new formulations on the migration of residual substances.

This analysis is complementary to those relating to specific substances such as bisphenol A , BADGE or BFDGE , frequently controlled in plastic and composite materials.

Matrices analyzed for QM and QMS assay

YesWeLab's partner laboratories perform these analyses on a wide range of matrices, including: plastics and polymers, inks and coatings, glass and ceramics, composites, films and flexible packaging, and metal objects with protective coatings. Each type of matrix requires specific preparation and a suitable method to ensure reliable results.

Compliance and traceability issues

Compliance with QM and QMS criteria is a major challenge for manufacturers. It allows them to: guarantee consumer health safety, meet European regulatory obligations (in particular EC Regulation No. 1935/2004 and regulations specific to plastics), avoid the risk of non-compliance during official controls, and strengthen the confidence of distributors and consumers. Controlling these parameters is similar to the steps taken for the dosage of regulated compounds such as bisphenols or adjuvants .

YesWeLab's expertise in QM and QMS dosing

YesWeLab collaborates with more than 200 partner laboratories in France and Europe, rigorously selected for their expertise in physical chemistry and their accreditations (ISO 17025, COFRAC, etc.). Our scientific team analyzes your needs to guide you towards the most suitable technique based on the substances sought and your regulatory constraints. Thanks to our digital platform, you can manage your analysis requests with ease: online quotes, sample tracking, and rapid receipt of results. Since 2020, many manufacturers, distributors, and design offices have entrusted us with the management of their analyses to secure their packaging and materials.

Take action

Do you want to verify the regulatory compliance of your packaging or food contact materials? Entrust your samples to YesWeLab for reliable and accurate testing of QM and QMS criteria. Request a quote online now for your analyses.