The Chemical Testing Laboratory

The chemical laboratory is a major testing facility of the National Standards Laboratory (NSL) and complies with ISO 17025:2005 international standards in all laboratory practices and maintains a quality management system to ensure practices at a high standard.

Its major goal is providing quality analytical testing services for the purpose of ,

• Determining whether food meets specification in order to protect the consumers economic interest;
• Verifying claims on labels and identity of sample in order to determining quality or wholesomeness of product and;
• Making sure that food does not contain potentially harmful chemicals in concentration higher than the permissible limit.

Presently the chemical laboratory is seeking accreditation against ISO 17025 spell out below:

Note: AOAC: Association of Analytical Chemists

Food matrices

Food products received for analysis include cereal-flour, rice and grains, fat and oil (e.g. Red oil), coffee, cocoa, eggs, cassava (garri), spices, fish, meat, vegetables, water, animals feed and general food imports.

Testing services

Testing services provided cut across proximate analysis, food colors, food preservatives, food contaminants and metals.

• Visual inspection and physical quality checks of food products;
• Moisture analysis
• Proximate analysis
• Protein content ( Kjeldahl method)
• Crude fat ( soxhlet method)
• Total Ash ( muffle method )
• Total soluble solids ( Refractometer )
• Determination of metallic components
• General test for food quality
• Titratable acidity
• PH
• Methanol- alcoholic beverages
• Milk analysis
• Aflatoxin
• Fiber content
• Vitamins A, C, and iron,
• Preservatives
• Food colors ( Sudan dye I, II, III, IV, Rhoda mine B )
• Food and water analysis
• Conductivity
• PH
• Chlorine
• Ammonia
• Nitrate
• TDS
• Turbidity
• Quality test on alcoholic products and beverages

Sample details

Samples brought at the chemical laboratory must be submitted in its original state and a minimum sample size of 250- 500 grams is acceptable for analytical purpose.

Reports and results

Samples submitted for analysis at the chemical lab are usually analyzed within 48-72 hours depending on the parameters, quantity, and nature of test. 
Test result and reports are highly confidential and all customers’ identity is protected by our confidentiality bond.