Not all labs have the same expertise. Choosing one with
experience in your specific product and the contaminants being evaluated can make a meaningful difference in the accuracy, reliability, and interpretation of the results.
Clean Label Project® evaluates consumer products for a broad range of contaminants using the proprietary contaminant database from Ellipse Analytics, an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory. Built from more than a decade of testing thousands of consumer products across 40+ categories, it is the largest contaminant database in the consumer packaged goods industry
Every product is different, so the amount of product needed, the preparation required, the laboratory equipment used, and the testing methods can all vary. For example, testing a powdered infant formula requires a different approach than a wax-based lipstick.
Think of it like choosing the right cleaning product – you wouldn’t use a bathroom cleaner to polish wood. The same is true in the lab. Different products require different testing methods and specialists. Choosing a laboratory with the right equipment, experience, and expertise helps ensure accurate, reliable results.
Laboratory testing terms like “Liquid Chromatography” or “Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry” may sound complicated, but they simply describe specialized tools scientists use to find and measure specific contaminants in a product.
Just as your doctor doesn’t use the same test to measure cholesterol, blood pressure, and vitamin levels, laboratories don’t use one test to detect every contaminant. Each contaminant requires specialized instruments and methods designed for that specific
analysis.
Some contaminants require more specialized equipment, additional sample preparation, and
greater expertise to produce accurate results. For example:
Heavy metals
When testing heavy metals, the sample is chemically broken down into a liquid so scientists can measure tiny amounts of metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
Pesticides
For pesticides, the sample is washed with specialized solvents that extract pesticide residues from the sample so they can be identified and measured.
Phthalates & Bisphenols
Like pesticides, phthalates and bisphenols are extracted using specialized solvents. Because these chemicals are commonly found in plastics and laboratory materials, scientists must take extra precautions to prevent contamination during testing.
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is particularly challenging to analyze because it behaves differently than most pesticides and requires specialized sample preparation and analytical methods.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Accurate testing isn’t just about having sophisticated equipment—it’s about using the right tools, the right methods, and the true experts for the specific contaminant being measured.
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