What are the steps involved in the German LFGB certification process for everyda
Date：2025-11-26 10:35:03 Classification
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For LFGB certification of products such as wooden products and metal food containers, it's now necessary to understand the specific certification process for core categories like everyday tableware. The German LFGB certification process for everyday tableware can be divided into six standard steps, with material breakdown testing and sensory evaluation being key steps to ensure compliance.
Step 1: Clarifying Product Information and Matching Test Items
1. Product Information Review
- Detailed parameters of the tableware are required: material (ceramic/stainless steel/plastic/wood, etc.), usage scenario (food contact type: water-based/acidic/oil-based), applicable temperature (room temperature/high temperature)
- Example:
Ceramic bowl: Lead and cadmium leaching test + sensory evaluation
Stainless steel cutlery: Heavy metal migration (lead, chromium, nickel) test
Plastic plates: Comprehensive migration test + specific substances (e.g., BPA, phthalates)
2. Test Item List (by material)
| Material Type | Required Tests
| Ceramic/Glass | Lead and Cadmium Leaching (4% acetic acid immersion)
| Metal/Alloy | Heavy Metal Migration (Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel)
| Plastic | Comprehensive Migration Test (simulating food contact conditions)
| Wood/Bamboo | Pentachlorophenol (PCP) Test
Step 2: Sample Preparation and Testing Institution Selection
1. Sample Requirements
- Provide 6-10 complete products from the same batch (ensuring coverage of all colors/patterns/specifications).
- Metal tableware must include welded/plated areas; plastic tableware must provide the molding mold number.
- Special requirement: If printed patterns are present, the migration of the printed area must be tested separately.
2. Key Points for Institutional Qualifications
- Must be selected from a German-accredited DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory (e.g., DEZEW Testing CNAS registration number: L8083).
Step Three: Application Submission and Fee Confirmation
1. List of Application Materials
- Product manual (including material composition table and usage conditions)
- Production process flow (e.g., glaze formula and firing temperature curve for ceramic tableware)
- Company information (business license, production address, contact person)
2. Fees and Timeframe
- Single-material tableware (e.g., pure ceramic bowl): Approximately 1000-2000 RMB/model, timeframe 5-7 working days
Step Four: Detailed Explanation of Core Testing Process
1. Sensory Testing (LFGB core feature project)
- Test Methods: 1. Immerse samples in distilled water, 3% acetic acid, and 10% ethanol for 24 hours respectively.
- Judgment Criteria: No odor, no color migration, no turbidity or sediment (plastic tableware requires additional testing for stickiness).
2. Migration Tests (by material example)
- Ceramic tableware: Immerse in 4% acetic acid solution at 95℃ for 2 hours, and detect lead and cadmium leaching by ICP-MS (limits: lead ≤0.8mg/kg, cadmium ≤0.07mg/kg).
- Stainless steel tableware: Simulate acidic food conditions (e.g., tomato juice), immerse at 60℃ for 2 hours, and detect nickel migration by atomic absorption spectrometry (limit ≤0.1mg/kg).
- Plastic tableware: Complete migration test (Tenax adsorption method), heat at 70℃ for 2 hours, evaporation residue ≤10mg/dm².
3. Special Item Tests
- Wooden tableware: Pentachlorophenol (PCP) detection (gas chromatography), limit ≤0.1mg/kg.
- Silicone tableware: Organotin compound test (GC-MS), limit ≤0.05mg/kg
Step Five: Report Review and Rectification (if non-compliant)
1. Common Non-compliant Items and Solutions
- Lead and Cadmium Exceeding Limits (Ceramic Tableware): Replace with low-lead glaze, adjust firing temperature (recommended ≥1250℃)
- Exceeding Total Migration Limits (Plastic Tableware): Switch to food-grade PP/PS material, reduce the proportion of plasticizer added
- Sensory Test Failure (Wooden Tableware): Optimize surface treatment process, use food-grade wood wax oil instead of industrial paint
2. Retesting Process
- After rectifying the non-compliant item individually, targeted samples can be submitted (e.g., retesting only the lead and cadmium leaching of ceramic bowls)
- Retesting cycle shortened to 3-4 working days, cost 40%-60% of the initial test
Step Six: Report Acquisition and Market Access
1. Report Validity and Use
- The test report must include: the laboratory's CNAS stamp, German accreditation mark, original test data, and conformity assessment.
- Uses: German customs clearance, product listing on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, and factory audits by German importers.
2. Subsequent compliance maintenance
- Report validity: Indefinite (if the material, manufacturing process, or glaze formula remains unchanged).
- Key reminder: When exporting, it is recommended to label the product packaging "Compliant with LFGB standards" and include the report number for traceability.
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