Food Contact Material Testing – How to comply with EU and US regulations (2025)

A picture showing lots of different Food Contact Materials

When we talk about Food Contact Material testing (FCMs), most people would assume that we are talking about food packaging testing. But from production to plate, our foods actually come into contact with many different surfaces and materials. Whether it’s plastic packaging, food containers, or even the tissue for your pizza slice at the restaurant, […]

SLCP vs Higg FSLM: How are they different?

As a business, it’s important to be able to prove your supply chain follows the best possible labour practises. It’s also important to make sure you don’t get audit fatigue by doing a new audit for every new partner. Luckily, two frameworks exist that help companies prove their commitment to good labour practices while still […]

How to get SAC Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) Verified in 2025

These days supply chains are global and making sure every stage of your supply chain is as ethical as possible should be top priority. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case. According to a 2024 report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), on any given day, 28 million people were trapped in forced labour.  What’s more, […]

Everything You Need to Know About Higg FEM Verification Audits

As the fashion industry grows, sustainability becomes more important. Increasingly, people want to know where their products come from and who makes them. They’re becoming more aware of how the things they buy affect people and the planet. According to a 2018 report by Quantas, in the last decade, the apparel industry’s climate change impacts […]

Testing and inspections for grapes

A person testing and inspecting a grape

The global agricultural market plays a crucial role in growing and processing a wide range of food products. In fact, many countries are leading producers of fruits and vegetables, supplying markets worldwide. Grapes, in particular, hold significant export potential. They thrive in hot, dry climates and come in various types—colored, white, seeded, and seedless—making them […]

ROHS vs REACH: What are they and how to comply

If you’re importing products into the European Union (EU) you may find that two regulations keep coming up- RoHS and REACH. If your products fall under the scope of either of these two regulations, then becoming REACH and RoHS compliant is necessary to guarantee market access into the European Union.  In this guide we’ll break […]

Understanding GPSR: EU’s new product safety laws and how to comply

On 13 December 2024, the EU is introducing a major update to its product safety laws. These new rules, called the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), will replace an older set of rules that have been in place since 2001. This marks the biggest change to product safety in over two decades and will directly […]

Complete guide to RoHS Compliance Testing

What is RoHS testing? RoHS stands for the Restriction on Hazardous Substances. It’s a rule made by the European Union (EU) to limit the use of certain harmful chemicals in things like electronics and electrical devices (EEE). These substances can be bad for the environment and people.  Companies that make these products have to test […]

HQTS Officially Recognized as a Higg FEM Verifier

On November 14, 2024, HQTS was officially approved by SAC (Sustainable Apparel Coalition, now renamed Cascale) as a Higg FEM (Facility Environmental Module) verifier. With this recognition, HQTS is now authorized to conduct Higg FEM verifications, and its Higg ID is 186183. What is Higg Verification? Higg verification, formally known as Higg Index Verification, is […]