Good Manufacturing Certificate Laboratory Controls
Laboratory controls are important in the production of all Cosmetic, but are of particular concern with products that will be marketed as "organic"; organic labeling and certification are handled differently in various countries, and some of them require documentation of the entire production chain, including the methods of manufacture and packaging.
The standards for laboratory control practices are as follows:
- All raw materials, samples and finished products are tested to verify their identity and determine their compliance with specifications for physical and chemical properties, microbial contamination, and hazardous or other unwanted chemical contaminants.
- Samples of raw materials and products are stored for the time period specified on the packaging to validate expiration dates.
- Ingredients are stored under conditions that protect them from contamination or deterioration and re-tested prior to use.
- The water used for cleaning is tested for contamination.
- The water used as a cosmetic ingredient is tested regularly for conformance with chemical-analytical and microbiological specifications.
- Samples are retained and tested for microbial contamination that may occur under consumer use and conditions of storage (temperature swings during shipment, etc.).
- Tests are conducted to determine the efficacy of preservative ingredients.
