Accreditations

Since Melbec’s creation in 2013, accreditation has always been a priority for us. Year on year we have added to our scope, the most relevant and topical standards for the industries we work in.

In both the cosmetic and biocidal industries, we are one of the most accredited labs in the UK and we are proud to use a UKAS accredited quality system (ISO 17025) for all of our testing. You can see us on the UKAS website, and our accreditation number is 8615. Below is some information about the specific standards we are accredited for.

ISO 17025:2017 is the main ISO standard used by testing and calibration laboratories, and one which Melbec are accredited to. It is the standard which labs must hold to be deemed technically competent, and it is used to enable labs like ours to implement a quality system aimed at improving our ability to consistently produce accurate and valid results for our clients.

EN 1276

The EN 1276 is the most carried out suspension test for the biocidal market. As we do this testing daily, and it is the foundation to most biocidal claims, we felt it was important to get accreditation specifically for this testing. This is usually the first test we recommend to customers when launching a biocidal product, and the results will give you an indication as to how the product may fair on the other required testing.

The EN 13697 is the most required surface (phase 2 step 2) test on biocides. Usually the domestic, industrial and medical markets conduct this test as their ‘phase 2’, unless the product is a wipe. In which case the EN 16615 would be more suitable. Again, being one of the only labs in the UK accredited for this, we support some of the biggest biocidal manufacturers in Europe with their testing. Usually, the EN 13697 would be carried out after the phase 2 step 1 test has been completed, such as the EN 1276.

Virtually all cosmetics that are brought to the market require PET (Preservative Efficacy Testing) and ensuring the highest quality testing is critical. Not only is the challenge test a requirement for products that have a high-water content, but it is important to ensure the formulation is rigid enough to resist contamination in the outside world. Being one of the only UK labs to be accredited to carry out this testing we have a large customer base, giving us in-depth and diverse knowledge of the sector that we are happy to pass onto our customers.

This is the first tests we gained accreditation for and remains the most important to us. Every week we test 100s of samples to these methods making it our most used method to date. It is becoming industry standard to use accredited test houses for batch release testing and some large companies like supermarkets will only buy from from manufacturers who use UKAS accredited laboratories.

Being the first commercial lab in the UK to achieve this accreditation is something that Melbec are extremely proud of, and once again we have led the way in innovation in the sector. As there are so many phase 2 step 1 suspension tests and it is not possible to be accredited for them all, we wanted our customers to have the option to have any testing accredited. This is when we came up with the idea of an accreditation that could cover any suspension test. After careful planning with UKAS we got the go ahead and spent the next year working on this. As of 2021 we are officially the first commercial lab to hold this accreditation.

In 2021, Melbec became the first lab in the UK to be able to offer Vegan society and UKAS accredited testing for QC and PET. The accredited methods are the same as the standard methods, except for using only vegan consumables. Testing of this nature can be selected by any customer, regardless of whether their product is vegan or not!

Find out how we can help

Want to learn more about how Melbec can help you with your testing requirements?

Fill in the form below, give us a call or email us!

01706 214 492 info@melbecmicrobiology.co.uk