Beverage Testing, Inspections and Audits

Every year, hundreds of beverages get recalled due to cross-contamination with allergens, spoilage and fermentation, fears of plastic contamination, use of banned chemicals, and other safety concerns. To safeguard the quality of beverages supplied to the market, manufacturers must ensure compliance of the product’s components, packaging, and production processes at every stage.

QIMA offers extensive testing and quality control for all categories of beverages, helping brands and retailers preserve product quality from factory to shelf. We conduct on-site inspections, audits, and lab tests to make sure that your beverages are manufactured, stored, and shipped in accordance with your specifications, and meet the safety standards of your destination market.

Our expertise in beverage testing covers the following categories:

• Bottled and natural mineral water
• Soft drinks (still and carbonated)
• Juices and smoothies
• Tea and coffee
• Sports drinks and supplements
• Alcohol, including spirits, wines, beers and ciders
• Milk drinks
• Infant formula

Beverage Testing Expertise

QIMA offers beverage brands and retailers comprehensive solutions to guarantee the quality and safety of their products. Our on-site product inspectors check your merchandise at every step of the production process to ensure that it complies with your specifications, and provide you with detailed reports. You know everything about your production lot before it ships, so you can manage your supply chain effectively and never have to pay for defective product.

Our testing laboratories conduct fast and reliable testing, delivering accurate information about your product’s quality and safety characteristics. The sampling process used by QIMA quality control technicians follows the WHO Food Code guidelines and the international ANSI/ASQC Z1.4 (ISO 2859-1) sampling procedure.

Solutions for Beverage Safety:

• Production monitoring and process control
• Hygiene and GMP audits
• Packaging checks and testing
• Microbiological tests
• Tests to identify pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants
• Shelf life and stability
• Chemical and radiological tests

Beverage Lab Testing Expertise

QIMA's network of certified laboratories offers a wide range of tests for drinks and beverages to help you ensure product safety and comply with your market’s regulations.

Our selection of microbiological, chemical, and radiological tests for beverages includes:

Ingredient identification Pesticide residue (plant-based ingredients) Antibiotic testing (animal-derived ingredients) Allergen and cross-contamination testing Plasticizer contaminants Packaging safety Processing-generated chemicals (4-methyl imidazole (4-MEI)) Color additives (banned dyes, artificial dyes, chemicals of concern) Trace elements Unknown contaminants

Heavy metals Sugar, acids, sugar alcohols (juices) Water quality Disinfection byproducts (bottled water) Caffeine and cathecin content (coffee and tea) Water-soluble vitamins, electrolytes, sugars, glucosamine (sports drinks) Choline and iodine levels (milk and formula) Wine authenticity Food fraud analysis Nutritional analysis

Beverage Audits

QIMA supplier audit programs are an effective way to assess manufacturing and ethical compliance in your global food supply chain.

Hygiene audits (GHP) are designed to ensure that your food suppliers’ facilities abide with international hygiene standards.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) audits help you achieve GMP compliance and secure safety in your beverage supply chain.

Quality Management System audits provide you with a full picture of your supplier’s quality management and oversight processes.

Ethical Audits are especially relevant for food and beverage components sourced overseas, helping you achieve social compliance and eliminate any instances of labor abuse from your supply chain.