What is meant by the term food?
According to the Law on Food Safety (“Official Gazette of RS”, no. 41/2009 and 17/2019) food is any substance or product, processed, partially processed or unprocessed, that is intended for human consumption or can reasonably be expected to be used for human consumption. A drink, chewing gum, as well as any substance purposefully added to food during preparation, processing or production is considered as food.
Drinking water, including water in its original packaging (mineral water and spring water), as well as water that is used or added during the preparation, processing or production of food is also considered as food. Drinking water is water in original packaging and water for public supply.
Service description
SP Laboratorija, as accredited laboratory, perform testings of food of plant and animal origin. You can take insight the analyses within the scope of accreditation here. For analyzes that are not listed in the scope of accreditation, contact us with request.
Testing can, among other things, assess food quality and verify food safety. The following tests are available:
- Phisycal-chemical analyses – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/fizicko-hemijske-analize-i-kontrola-kvaliteta-hrane/
- Pesticide residues – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/rezidue-pesticida/
- Mycotoxins – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/mikotoksini/
- Metals and metalloids – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/metali-i-metaloidi/
- GMO – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/gmo/
- Acrylamid – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/akrilamid/
- Other contaminants – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/kontaminenti/
- Microbiological testings – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/mikrobioloska-ispitivanja/
- Viruses in food – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/virusoloska-ispitivanja/
- Allergens – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/ispitivanje-alergena/
- Nutrition parameters – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/odredjivanje-nutritivnih-parametara/
- Sensory analyses – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/senzorske-analize/
- Labelling – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/deklarisanje-proizvoda/
- Additives – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/analize-prisustva-aditiva/
- Sustainability study – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/studije-odrzivosti-i-challenge-test/
- Sampling – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/uzorkovanje/
- Consultation – https://splaboratorija.rs/en/ponude/hrana/savetovanje-u-vezi-kvaliteta-i-bezbednosti-hrane/
Who needs testings?
Food testing services are intended to:
- food producers
- food importers and distributors
- trade chains
- agricultural farms
- catering facilities
- to all other persons in the process of food production and distribution
When should tests be performed?
Testing of food, its safety and quality must be carried out before placing the product on the market, during the development of new products, periodically in accordance with the HACCP plan, after a change of raw material or technological process, in case of any suspicion of health risks…
Regular food analyses enable risk prevention and consumer protection, as well as producer safety.
The most common analyzes for food safety, which certainly depends on the food category, are:
Microbiological analyses: Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, total number of microorganisms, Yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus aureus…
Chemical analyses: pesticide residues, contaminants – heavy metals (Pb, As, Hg, Cd); mycotoxins – aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin, ochratoxin A, HT-2, T-2, patulin, zearalenon, ergot alkaloids; plant toxins – tropane alkaloids, opium alkaloids (codeine, morphine), pyrrolizidine alkaloids, glycoalkaloids, cyanogenic glycosides, cannabinoids; dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), perfluoroalkyl substances, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), acrylamide, …
Food quality parameters: content of fat, protein, salt, dry matter, pH value, water activity (aW), ….
What does the process look like?
SP Laboratorija offers the possibility to carry out a complete analysis of food from taking samples/sampling to issuing a test report:
You need food testing -> you contact us -> we form an offer -> we collect a sample/perform sampling/ you send a sample/you bring a sample -> the sample is analyzed -> we issue a test report
To carry out sample testing, please submit a request for analysis available on our website or by creating it yourself. If you personally bring the sample to the laboratory, you will have the opportunity to fill in a test request in the laboratory.
If you would like us to perform sampling, you need to submit a sampling request available on our website.
What is the turnaround time for the test report?
The standard analysis time isfrom 3 up to 5 working days, depending on the type of test. Certain analyses, such as testing for pesticide residues, mycotoxins, acrylamide, heavy metals and some microbiological tests can be completed within 24 or 48 hours after the sample arrives to the laboratory. Such analyses are available by prior agreement.
For any kind of help or support, customer support associates are available via the email address splaboratorija@splaboratorija.rs or the contact form
