Unveiling the Secrets of Export Testing and Certification in the Water Bottle Industry: Part 1 - Materials Testing

There are stories in every cup, and warmth in every life. Hello everyone, welcome to "Dong Dong's Cup Talk" A while back, I shared some insights about the testing and certifications required for exporting water bottle products. Since then, many regions and countries have updated their testing standards for water bottles. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlTo provide you with more valuable and accurate information, I’ve invited two highly "authoritative" friends to share their expertise.

While organizing the materials, I realized that presenting from their independent perspectives might make it easy to lose track of the bigger picture. So, I’ve decided to structure the sharing based on the topics you care about most. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlThis way, the insights from both experts will intersect and complement each other throughout the discussion, making the content more practical for you. Due to the breadth of the topic, I’ll break this into several independent posts.

As a friend of Dong Dong and a frontline tester with over ten years of experience at SGS, I have personally handled countless export cases for water bottles. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlWhile I hope my sharing will be helpful to everyone, I kindly ask that you point out any errors promptly should there be oversights in the content.

European and American countries, such as the United States and Germany, impose strict inspection requirements for imported water bottles. These are not trade barriers but are based on considerations for consumer safety and environmental protection. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlThese inspections cover material safety, chemical migration risks, and overall product compliance. Taking plastic water bottles and stainless steel insulated cups as examples, common food-grade materials include PP (polypropylene), PC (polycarbonate), PPSU (polyphenylsulfone), TRITAN (copolyester), silicone, 304 stainless steel, and 316 stainless steel. While these materials are widely used, they must undergo multiple tests to ensure safety.

Detailed Explanation of Material Testing: From FDA to Global Standards

In SGS's daily testing, we conduct multiple tests on water bottle materials, primarily to prevent harmful substances from migrating into food or beverages, thereby endangering human health. Testing standards are based on international regulations, such as the U.S. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlFDA (Food and Drug Administration) requirements, the EU's REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals), and Germany's LFGB (Food and Feed Code).

Testing Purpose:

The core of material testing is to evaluate the safety of materials when in contact with food, including chemical stability and biocompatibility. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlFor example, PC materials may contain Bisphenol A (BPA), which can cause endocrine disruption if migrated into water. Similarly, excessive levels of elements like nickel and chromium in stainless steel may lead to allergies or toxic reactions.

Testing Standards and Content:

1. FDA Testing:

Primarily based on the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 21 CFR. For instance, PP materials must comply with 21 CFR 177.1520, with test items including Overall Migration (OM) and Specific Migration (e.g., heavy metals). https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10505.htmlIn a real case, we encountered a Chinese exporter using PC material to produce water bottles. Although the material report indicated compliant BPA levels, the finished product failed due to BPA migration under high-temperature use, leading to detention by U.S. Customs. FDA testing emphasizes material stability under simulated usage conditions.