Heavy Metals Testing in Food

Measure lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other metals in your product at the low levels FSSAI and export markets require.

4.9/5Rated by 28 clients

How Heavy Metals Testing in Food works

1Assessment of requirement
2Sample collection
3Right lab assigned
4Testing
5Test report

Each step explained

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Overview of Heavy Metals Testing in Food

Tested by: NABL-accredited partner lab
Regulation: FSS Contaminants Regulations
Typical turnaround: 4–6 working days
Sample needed: 200–500 g

Heavy metals enter food from soil, water, processing equipment and packaging, and in some cases through deliberate adulteration, such as lead chromate in turmeric. FSSAI sets limits for lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, methylmercury, tin and others by food category.

Modern labs use ICP-MS, which measures many metals at parts-per-billion levels in one run. Rice is often tested for inorganic arsenic, seafood for methylmercury and canned foods for tin, while baby foods and supplements have the strictest limits.

What we do for you

Lab and parameter list chosen for your purpose: licence, export, buyer or internal QC
Sampling guidance, and pickup or on-site sampling where needed
One contact who follows up with the lab until the report is issued
Report explained in plain language, with next steps if a result fails

What to send

The lab confirms the exact quantity and packing for your product when we book the test.

Sample

Quantity: 200–500 g
Sealed and labelled with the product name, batch number and date
Kept the way the product is normally stored: chilled, frozen or at room temperature

Details to share

Product name, FSSAI category and licence or registration number, if you have one
Ingredient list or recipe, and the label artwork
Purpose of testing: FSSAI licence, periodic testing, export, buyer or internal QC
For export: destination country and the buyer’s specification

How we handle Heavy Metals Testing in Food

1
Assessment of requirement
We confirm the standard, the list of tests and how many samples your product needs.
2
Sample collection
We collect the samples from your factory or warehouse, or tell you exactly where to send them.
3
Right lab assigned
We choose an accredited lab (NABL, BIS-recognised or ILAC) that covers your standard and can start soonest.
4
Testing
The lab tests your samples against the standard. We follow up and tell you at once if a test fails.
5
Test report
You receive the signed test report, ready to use for BIS, WPC, CE or your buyer.

What the lab tests

Parameter	Why it is checked
Lead	Spices, supplements, baby food, confectionery
Cadmium	Cereals, cocoa, seafood
Arsenic and inorganic arsenic	Rice and rice products, seafood, water
Mercury and methylmercury	Fish and seafood
Tin	Food in tinplate cans
Other metals	Copper, nickel, chromium and more on request

The final list depends on your product, its standard and the purpose of testing. We confirm it with you before the sample goes to the lab.

Frequently asked questions

Why is inorganic arsenic tested separately?

Seafood naturally contains organic forms of arsenic that are far less toxic. Limits for rice and some other foods apply to the inorganic forms, so a speciation method is needed to separate them.

Will FSSAI and buyers accept the report?

Tests are done in labs accredited by NABL for the parameters reported, and for regulatory use in FSSAI-notified labs, which is what FSSAI, food safety officers and most buyers expect. For export, we match the lab to the importing country’s or buyer’s requirement.

Who carries out the testing?

Instacertify’s partner laboratories, accredited by NABL to ISO/IEC 17025 for the parameters on your report. We choose the lab, arrange the sample, follow up until the report is issued and explain the results to you.

What our clients say

“Instacertify helped us get BIS CRS certification for our entire product range within just 6 weeks. Their team handled everything from documentation to lab coordination. Highly professional service.”

Akash GuptaBIS CRS · Electronics brand

“They handled complete certification for us, from ISO 9001 to BIS for PVC cables and plugs. Thorough, professional and always available — they knew what needed to be done and when.”

Shivank VishnoiISO 9001 & BIS · Cables

“Getting TEC approvals for our access-control products seemed confusing and complex, but Instacertify made it simple.”

Jiten ShahTEC approval · Access control

Not sure which certification you need?

Send us the product name and the countries you sell in. A specialist replies with the standards that apply, the documents to prepare, the lab cost and the timeline. The assessment is free.

The list of approvals comes to you in writing
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Testing, certification and registrations handled by one team

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