How to Read a Migration Test Report

📅 Oct 17, 2026 👁 views

The four checks

#	Check	Why it matters
1	Simulant	A, B, C, D1, D2 or E — must match the food type
2	Time and temperature	must match real use, not a convenient setting
3	Overall vs specific	OML 10 mg/dm² vs individual SMLs
4	Limit basis	EU 10/2011 vs FDA vs GB 4806 — different numbers

Simulants, in plain terms

Simulant	Represents
A (10% ethanol)	aqueous food
B (3% acetic acid)	acidic food
C (20% ethanol)	alcoholic up to 20%
D1 (50% ethanol)	oily food, low fat
D2 (vegetable oil)	fatty food
E (Tenax)	dry food

A report tested with simulant A only tells you nothing about a fatty sauce. This is the single most common gap in supplier documentation.

Reading the result column

A result of "OML 3.2 mg/dm²" against a limit of 10 mg/dm² means pass with margin. A result of "9.4 mg/dm²" also passes but leaves no headroom for process variation — ask whether the sample was the worst case.

For specific migration, each restricted substance is listed separately. A single failed SML fails the article, even if overall migration passes.

Red flags in a report

No accreditation mark (CNAS, UKAS, DAkkS, A2LA)
Test conditions that do not include the real fill temperature
Sample described as "PP material" rather than the finished article
Report older than two years with no statement of unchanged formulation
Only one simulant for a product that will contact multiple food types

FAQ

How long is a report valid? There is no fixed expiry, but auditors usually want it within 2–3 years and matching the current formulation.

Can one report cover a product family? Only if the material, thickness, colour and additives are identical. Different colours are different articles.

Who should pay for testing? The party placing the product on the market. If you sell under your own brand, that is you.