Kitchenware · what food-contact testing costs
How much does cookware & kitchenware food-contact testing cost?
Pans, trays, utensils, cutlery and containers that touch food need a Declaration of Compliance backed by migration data — not a "certificate". What it costs is driven by the material and any coating, not the shape. Below: an indicative price, turnaround and minimum sample per material.
What food-contact law requires — and what it does not
Articles that touch food (FCM) fall under Framework Regulation (EC) 1935/2004: they must not transfer their constituents into food in amounts that endanger health. There is NO "FCM certificate" issued by a notified body — compliance is shown by a Declaration of Compliance (DoC, Art. 16) backed by migration test data. That is the document your retail customer actually needs, even when they call it a "certificate". A test is one way to back the DoC; where the supplier already holds valid migration reports, they may be enough.
Price by material and coating
Test cost follows the material and any coating, not the format. Indicative LCAS benchmark (EUR net, accredited EU labs):
| Material / construction | Test scope | Price (EUR net) |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel — uncoated | Metal-release migration (CoE CM/Res(2013)9) + heavy-metals panel | ≈ €400 |
| Steel / aluminium — non-stick (PTFE / "teflon") | Above + overall migration + PFAS/PFOA in the coating | ≈ €650–765 |
| Ceramic / enamelled | Lead & cadmium release (EN 1388-1) | from €160 |
| Glass | Heavy-metals release | from €160 |
| Plastic / silicone | Overall & specific migration (EU 10/2011) | from €600 |
| Wood / bamboo | Migration + formaldehyde if glued | from €350 |
The coating is the cost driver, not the metal. A bare stainless pan is a metal-release run; the same pan with a non-stick coating adds overall migration and a PFAS/PFOA check, because PTFE is a fluoropolymer and PFOA is banned in the EU (POPs Regulation). Multi-material items (e.g. a pan with a plastic handle) are priced per matrix.
Turnaround and minimum sample
Indicative working-day turnaround and minimum sample per test (accredited EU lab):
| Test | Turnaround | Min. sample |
|---|---|---|
| Metal-release migration (CoE 2013/9) | 15–20 days | 1–3 units |
| Heavy metals (ICP-MS) | 10–15 days | 20 units |
| Overall & specific migration (EN 1186 / 13130) | 15–20 days | 1–3 units |
| PFAS / PFOA in coating (EN 17681-1) | 15–25 days | 1–3 units |
| Lead & cadmium release, ceramics (EN 1388) | 10–15 days | 3–6 units |
Migration is run in the food simulant matching real use — for grill and cookware that means the fatty simulant (olive oil / D2) at elevated temperature, the harshest case, so the result is defensible for the whole use. A bundled set runs to the longest test in it — typically 20–25 working days. Send samples only once the scope is fixed.
What a full package costs
Bundled benchmark packages (EUR net, ~15% discount vs. single tests):
| Package | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A — uncoated stainless / glass | Metal release + heavy metals | ≈ €400 |
| B — coated cookware | Package A + overall migration + PFAS/PFOA | ≈ €765 |
| C — ceramic / enamelled | Lead & cadmium release + heavy metals | ≈ €300 |
These are LCAS benchmark ranges for accredited EU testing, not a quotation. The actual figure depends on the coating, the number of materials and components, and how complete the supplier documentation already is. Where a Chinese or non-EU supplier holds valid migration reports, part of the scope may close on documentation rather than a new test.
The standards you test against
- +Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 — framework FCM regulation; the Declaration of Compliance (Art. 16) is the deliverable.
- +Council of Europe CM/Res(2013)9 — metals and alloys in food contact; the European reference for metal release (no harmonised EU limit exists).
- +EN 1186 / EN 13130 — overall and specific migration for food-contact materials.
- +EN 1388-1 / Directive 84/500/EEC — lead and cadmium release from ceramics and enamel.
- +EN 17681-1 — targeted PFAS by LC-MS/MS for coatings; PFOA is banned under the POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021.
- +Regulation (EU) 10/2011 — plastics FCM (handles, silicone parts, plastic utensils).
From price to compliance — the next step
These benchmark figures apply to any accredited EU laboratory — LCAS does not rank or recommend labs. Compare quotes on equal terms and use whichever lab you choose.
LCAS is built and operated by Multicert. If you would rather have it handled end to end — testing coordinated and the compliance document prepared — you can work with the team behind LCAS:
A test proves a limit; the Declaration of Conformity is the document your customer needs — two separate steps.
Across product types
What LCAS benchmarks elsewhere
Cookware is priced by material and coating below. LCAS also benchmarks other accredited product-testing packages — estimate any case in the calculator.
Questions people ask
Cookware FCM testing cost — quick answers
- How much does it cost to test cookware for food contact?
- It depends on the material and any coating. Uncoated stainless steel or glass is around €400 (metal release + heavy metals). A non-stick coated pan rises to roughly €765, because the PTFE coating adds overall migration and a PFAS/PFOA check. Ceramic and enamelled items are about €300 (lead & cadmium release).
- Is there a "food-contact certificate"?
- No. No notified body issues an "FCM certificate". Compliance is shown by a Declaration of Compliance under Article 16 of Regulation (EC) 1935/2004, backed by migration test reports. That document — not a certificate — is what your retail customer needs.
- Does a teflon / non-stick pan need a PFAS test?
- A non-stick coating is a fluoropolymer (PTFE), so the coating is checked for PFAS/PFOA residues — PFOA is banned in the EU under the POPs Regulation. The uncoated metal body itself does not need PFAS, only metal-release and heavy-metals testing.
- I import cookware from outside the EU — who is responsible?
- The importer placing the product on the EU market signs the Declaration of Compliance and answers to the retailer and market surveillance. A supplier statement from a non-EU producer does not transfer that responsibility — but if the supplier holds valid migration reports, part of the scope may close on their documentation rather than a new test.
- How long does the testing take?
- Metal release and migration are typically 15–20 working days; PFAS/PFOA 15–25 days; ceramic lead & cadmium 10–15 days. A bundled set runs to the longest test — around 20–25 working days.
- Do I have to test at all?
- Not necessarily. The law requires compliance and documentation, not a test for every item. Where the supplier holds valid migration data for the same material and coating, that can back the Declaration of Compliance; a test is used only where the documentation does not cover a requirement.