SGS Acquisition of IPS Expands Services For Personal Care Manufacturers

The SGS acquisition of IPS means that the company can now support personal care manufacturers in product development and quality control. The lab’s expertise in testing paper, non-wovens, consumer products and packaging also supports investigations into product claims, contamination and other issues.

A recent case study involving the contamination of a personal care product highlights the importance of these testing services. A manufacturer of silicone-treated paper release liners asked SGS to determine who was responsible for a dark speck attached to a liner and the adjacent disposable fabric. The SGS analysis, which took place at the former IPS lab, found that both the paper strip and adjacent fabric contained parts of an insect. The analysts then had to establish where and when the contamination occurred.

The majority of the insect (a fly) lay on the paper surface, with a few parts loosely attached to the non-woven fabric pouch. It would have been easy to suggest that the contamination occurred during the assembly of the paper and non-woven fabric. However, the lab’s analysts performed a closer inspection that showed fiber strands - later confirmed to be paper fibers - covering the legs of the insect.

The SGS analysts understood the manufacturing process and those involved – the papermaker, the silicone coater, the fabric pouch manufacturer and the personal care producer. This knowledge meant they were able to conclude that the paper fibers overlying the fly’s legs proved that the insect entered the manufacturing process during the paper-making stage - and so the papermaker was responsible.

In this instance, the highly trained and experienced SGS analysts brought their industry expertise to bear and demonstrated their problem-solving capabilities. These are valuable skills for the manufacturers of personal care items to draw upon; any form of contamination can affect product performance, safety, or aesthetics. And all of these factors may influence a customer’s response.

For more information on using SGS expert analysis (and other services) to reduce risk, contact:

Tom Kremer
SGS-IPS Testing
Technical Supervisor - Microscopy
3211 E. Capitol Dr
US – 54911 - Appleton

Email: cts.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/cosmetics

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 90,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,000 offices and laboratories around the world.

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This release was published on openPR.