Food Additive Testing Lab in India
Every additive used in a packaged food sold in India — every preservative, colour, sweetener, antioxidant, emulsifier, and artificial flavouring substance — is regulated under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011. A single additive outside the positive list, or one inside the list but above its category-specific maximum permitted level, makes the product adulterated under the FSS Act 2006. Auriga Research provides NABL-accredited food additive testing for FSSAI compliance, export readiness, and brand-side QA.
Our testing covers preservatives (benzoic acid, sorbic acid, sulphur dioxide, nisin, natamycin), synthetic permitted colours (tartrazine, sunset yellow FCF, carmoisine, ponceau 4R, brilliant blue FCF, indigo carmine, fast green FCF, erythrosine), artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame-K, neotame), antioxidants (BHA, BHT, TBHQ, propyl gallate), natural, nature-identical, and artificial flavouring substances by GC-MS, emulsifiers, and acidity regulators. Non-permitted colour screening for Sudan dyes, rhodamine B, metanil yellow, and malachite green is also offered for surveillance and import-verification work.
Backed by the Arbro Group's analytical heritage — Arbro Lab since 1990, Auriga Research since 2007 — with NABL ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, our reports are accepted by FSSAI licensing officers, EIC Export Inspection Agencies, and international buyers — with optional dual reporting against the EU additive framework (Regulation (EC) 1333/2008) for products bound for European markets.
Food Additive Testing Parameters
Each additive category is mapped to its analytical method and the FSSAI maximum permitted level it supports — so QA, labelling, and export teams can match scope to specification at a glance.
Preservatives
Benzoic acid, sorbic acid, sulphur dioxide (SO2), nisin, natamycin by HPLC-PDA and titrimetry against FSSAI maximum permitted levels.
Synthetic Permitted Colours
Tartrazine, sunset yellow FCF, carmoisine, ponceau 4R, brilliant blue FCF, indigo carmine, fast green FCF, erythrosine by HPLC-PDA — quantified against FSSAI 100 ppm cap.
Non-Permitted Colour Screen
Sudan I-IV, rhodamine B, metanil yellow, malachite green, butter yellow — screened as adulterants per FSSAI surveillance protocols.
Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame-K, neotame by HPLC against FSSAI category-specific limits.
Natural Sweeteners
Steviol glycosides, monk fruit extract, and natural sweetener identification by HPLC.
Antioxidants
BHA, BHT, TBHQ, propyl gallate, tocopherols, and ascorbyl palmitate by HPLC and GC-FID against FSSAI 200 ppm cap on fats and oils.
Flavouring Substances
Natural, nature-identical, and artificial flavouring substances by GC-MS — covers diacetyl, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, benzaldehyde, methyl anthranilate, and the FSSAI-notified flavour substance positive list. Auriga is one of the few NABL-accredited labs offering quantitative artificial flavouring substances testing in India.
Emulsifiers & Stabilisers
Mono- and diglycerides, lecithin, polysorbates, carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum identification and quantification.
Flavour Enhancers
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate (IMP), disodium guanylate (GMP) by HPLC and ion chromatography.
Acidity Regulators
Citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid by HPLC and titrimetry.
Note on scope: this page covers permitted-additive compliance testing. For non-permitted colour testing in spices and other commodities as part of adulteration investigations, see our Food Adulteration Testing page.
How It Works
Get a Quote
Share your product type and the parameters you need tested. Your dedicated SPOC will confirm the testing scope, the applicable method, and the exact sample quantity required for your specific panel before you dispatch anything.
Send Your Sample
Dispatch your sample with a completed Test Request Form to the nearest Auriga lab. Each sample is individually bar coded and registered in YLIMS, Auriga's in-house Laboratory Information Management System, upon receipt. Testing begins within 24 hours of sample registration.
Testing and QA Review
Your sample is tested against the confirmed validated method by Auriga's scientific team. Every result passes through a formal internal QA review and sign-off before the report is generated.
Receive Your NABL Report
Your NABL-accredited test report is delivered digitally within the committed turnaround time. Reports carry Auriga's NABL accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and are accepted by FSSAI, APEDA, EIC, and major international buyers. You can track your sample status in real time through YLIMS at any point in the process.
Turnaround Time
| Panel | Standard TAT | Express |
|---|---|---|
| Individual additive test (preservative / colour / sweetener / antioxidant) | 5–7 business days | Available |
| Comprehensive additive panel (preservatives + colours + sweeteners) | 7–10 business days | Available |
| Non-permitted colour screening (Sudan, rhodamine B, metanil yellow) | 5–7 business days | Available |
| Artificial flavouring substances by GC-MS | 7–10 business days | On request |
| Dual FSSAI + EU 1333/2008 compliance report | + 2–3 business days over standard | On request |
Who Needs This Testing
- Packaged food and beverage manufacturers needing FSSAI label compliance verification for declared additives and the absence of non-permitted ones.
- D2C and e-commerce brands launching new SKUs on Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zepto, and BigBasket where an analyst-verified additive panel is now a listing prerequisite.
- Importers verifying that imported food matches the FSSAI permitted positive list before clearance under the FSS Imports Regulations 2017.
- Exporters shipping to EU, US, and GCC markets requiring dual reporting against EU Regulation (EC) 1333/2008 maximum levels.
- Reformulators verifying the additive content of a new recipe matches label declarations and category-specific FSSAI caps.
- Beverage, confectionery, ice cream, and bakery brands where synthetic colour usage is permitted and routinely monitored.
- Brands contesting an FSSAI surveillance finding or marketplace delisting with an NABL-accredited counter-report.
- Regulatory consultants preparing additive sections of FSSAI licence applications and product approval dossiers.
Why Auriga for Food Additive Testing
NABL-accredited and FSSAI-approved
Reports carry evidentiary weight in FSSAI proceedings and are accepted by State Food Safety Officers, designated officers, and food analysts under the FSS Act 2006.
HPLC for colours, preservatives, sweeteners
Single platform validated for permitted colours (tartrazine, sunset yellow, etc.), preservatives (benzoic, sorbic acid), and artificial sweeteners against FSSAI maximum permitted levels.
GC-MS for artificial flavouring substances
Quantitative GC-MS profiling of natural, nature-identical, and artificial flavouring substances — one of the few NABL-accredited labs in India offering this scope.
Dual FSSAI + EU 1333/2008 reporting
Optional dual-jurisdiction CoA reporting both FSSAI maximum permitted levels and EU 1333/2008 Annex II caps in a single report for exporters.
Arbro Group analytical heritage
Established analytical heritage through the Arbro Group (Arbro Lab since 1990, Auriga Research since 2007), with NABL ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation — the audit trail FSSAI, EIC, and international buyers look for.
Five regional labs
Delhi, Gurugram, Bangalore, Baddi, and Bahadurgarh — closer to your factory or warehouse means lower sample-courier risk and faster despatch for FSSAI licensing and marketplace listing deadlines.