Where to Get German LFGB Testing Done?

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Update time : 2026-07-05

What is LFGB?

LFGB is the abbreviation for the German Food and Commodities Act (Lebensmittel- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch), whose predecessor was LMBG.

LFGB is the most important basic legal document in German food hygiene management. It serves as the guideline and core for the formulation of other specific food hygiene laws and regulations. In recent years, LFGB regulations have undergone modifications, primarily to align with new EU standards. The LFGB regulations establish general and fundamental safety requirements for food and all types of daily necessities that come into contact with it. All food and food-related commodities on the German market must strictly comply with the basic provisions set forth in the LFGB.

Daily necessities or related materials that come into contact with food, and which pass LFGB testing in compliance with the German Food and Commodities Act, can obtain an LMBG/LFGB Test Report issued by an authorized agency. This certifies them as "products free of chemical toxic substances" and permits their sale on the German market.

The Meaning of the LFGB Knife and Fork Symbol: Products Passing LFGB Testing Can Display the Symbol

The LFGB knife and fork symbol is a recognized food safety mark. If a daily necessity intended for food contact displays this symbol, it signifies that the product has passed LFGB testing, complies with both German and European standards, and meets the rigorous requirements of German LFGB regulations.

It serves as proof that the product contains no toxic substances harmful to the human body and is legally cleared for sale in Germany and other European markets. In the European market, products carrying the LFGB knife and fork symbol significantly enhance customer confidence and purchasing desire. It is a powerful marketing tool that can greatly increase a product's market competitiveness.

Product Scope Covered by LFGB Testing

Common LFGB testing primarily targets food contact materials. This means any materials that come into direct contact—or may foreseeably come into contact—with food must meet LFGB testing requirements. Therefore, LFGB testing has no explicit product scope limitations.

Based on current LFGB regulations and laboratory testing capabilities, JJR LAB currently conducts LFGB testing across the following eight main categories:

Plastic products LFGB testing
Ceramic and glass products LFGB testing
Rubber and silicone rubber products LFGB testing
Textile products LFGB testing
Metal products LFGB testing
Bamboo and wood products LFGB testing
Coated products LFGB testing
Paper products LFGB testing

JJR LAB has over a decade of experience providing LFGB testing services and has successfully assisted numerous enterprises in completing testing for various products, facilitating their smooth entry into the German and broader European markets. Our mature LFGB testing services cover a wide range of items, including:

Tableware, kitchenware, and cooking utensils
Food-contact metal, plastic, rubber, and paper materials
Various food-contact coatings
Bamboo, wood, leather, and textile products
Glass and ceramic products
Appliances: Water dispensers, coffee makers, juicers, meat grinders, and various food crushing/grinding machines

LFGB Testing Items and Specific Requirements for Common Materials

Under normal circumstances, Sections 30 and 31 of the German Food and Commodities Act (LFGB) require the following testing items:

Initial inspection of samples and materials (German LFGB Testing)
Sensory evaluation of odor and taste transfer (German lfgb certification)
Plastic samples: Transferable component testing and extractable heavy metals testing (German LFGB testing)
Metals: Composition and extractable heavy metals testing (German LFGB testing)
Silicone: Transferable or volatile organic compounds testing (German LFGB report)
Special materials: Chemical hazard inspection according to the German Chemicals Act (German lfgb certificate)

General Material LFGB Testing Item Requirements

(Note: Testing items are updated regularly; please contact us for the latest details)

Material Type	Specific Testing Requirements
General Plastic Products	Overall migration, extractable heavy metals, total lead & cadmium, PAHs, color migration, sensory test.
PVC Plastic Products	General plastic requirements, vinyl chloride monomer test, organotin, total phthalates & migration, total BPA & migration.
Melamine Resin Products	General plastic requirements, formaldehyde extraction test, melamine specific migration.
PP, PE, PES, PPS	General plastic requirements.
PS, BS, SBS, Polystyrene	General plastic requirements, Volatile Organic Matter (VOM) total.
PA, Nylon, Polyamide	General plastic requirements, aromatic amine migration test, caprolactam specific migration, hexamethylenediamine specific migration.
PET Plastic Products	General plastic requirements, antimony specific migration, terephthalic acid specific migration, acetaldehyde specific migration, total antimony.
Silicone Rubber Products	Overall migration test, Volatile Organic Matter (VOM) total, total lead & cadmium, PAHs, color migration, sensory test.
Rubber Products	Overall migration test, formaldehyde extraction test, zinc content test, lead content, cadmium extraction, aromatic amine migration test, nitrosamine content, sensory test.
Paper Products	Azo dye test, extractable heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, CrVI - lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium), color migration test, fluorescent brightener migration, benzophenone specific migration in olive oil, 4-methylbenzophenone specific migration in olive oil, antibacterial substance migration, sensory test.
Products with Non-stick Coatings (e.g., non-stick pans)	5-item overall migration test, phenol extraction test, formaldehyde extraction test, aromatic amine extraction test, hexavalent chromium (CrVI) extraction test, trivalent chromium (CrIII) extraction test, PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) test, sensory test.
Metals, Alloys, and Electroplated Products	Heavy metal extraction test.
Textiles	Color fastness, formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, tetrachlorophenol, trichlorophenol, chlorinated carriers, disperse dyes, azo dyes, sensory test.
General Coating Requirements	Overall migration, extractable heavy metals, PAHs specific migration, color migration, sensory test.
Wood Products	Total arsenic, pentachlorophenol (PCP) test, pesticide residues, sensory test.
Ceramic, Glass, Enamel Products	Lead and cadmium extraction test for food-contact parts, additional lead and cadmium extraction test for cup rims, ceramic cobalt extraction.

LFGB Testing Services

LFGB testing requires the provision of test samples. An LFGB test report is issued upon the successful completion of the relevant standard tests.

The selection of specific test items is usually determined by the actual type of food the product will contact. Consequently, the number of required test items directly dictates the overall cost of the LFGB testing. For more detailed information or specific inquiries regarding LFGB testing, please feel free to contact us.