Methanoic acid assay

Methanoic acid, also known as formic acid, is a simple carboxylic acid naturally present in certain plants, insect bites, or generated during fermentation processes. It is commonly used as a preservative, additive, or acidifying agent, particularly in the food, nutraceutical, and animal science industries.

The measurement of methanoic acid is essential for:

• Controlling residues in food, animal feed or technical products.
• Verify the regulatory compliance of additives and technological aids.
• Ensuring the safety of formulations for nutritional, cosmetic or industrial use.

Matrices analyzed

• Treated feed additives and animal feed
• Fermented products (silage, juices, starters)
• Cosmetics or technical formulations containing weak acids
• Process water, solvents, plant extracts

Proposed analytical methods

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC): suitable for aqueous or complex matrices, allowing reliable and reproducible quantification.
• Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC-MS): used for volatile residues, solvents and organic media.
• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy: useful for the rapid identification of methanoic acid in certain solid or semi-solid matrices.

Additional analyses available

As part of a quality control plan or formulation project, methanoic acid analysis can be combined with other chemical analyses available in our YesWeLab catalogue:

• Acetic acid determination (fermentations, solvents, additives)
• Propionic acid dosage (preservative, animal feed)
• Citric acid dosage (acidifier, formulation stability)

These services make it possible to characterize the complete organic profile of a sample, whether it is food, plant or technical.

Why go through YesWeLab?

Since 2020, YesWeLab has been supporting stakeholders in the agri-food, nutraceutical, veterinary, and cosmetic sectors in managing their analyses. We work with a network of over 200 rigorously selected laboratories in France and Europe, certified to ISO 17025 or accredited by COFRAC according to your requirements.

•  Intuitive digital platform
•  Quick and personalized quotes
• Tracking your samples and accessing analysis reports
• Responsive scientific support that listens to your needs

Request a quote online

Need to measure methanoic acid in an extract, additive, cosmetic or technical product? Our team will guide you to the laboratory best suited to your matrix and analytical specifications.