Founded in 1914, Meira is the largest spice manufacturer and the second-largest coffee producer in Finland. The company also produces a wide range of baking ingredients, with a total of over 450 different products for both consumers and professional kitchens.
Meira’s collaboration with Measurlabs began gradually in the spring of 2024 with a few allergen and contaminant analyses. The initial experience proved positive, and since then, the number of samples has increased steadily. Today, Measurlabs provides a significant share of Meira’s routine quality control testing.
All contaminant and allergen analyses from a single provider
Finnish food safety regulations require operators to implement risk-based self-monitoring. In practice, this means that different types of foods are tested for the specific set of contaminants most likely to occur within that product category. For example, in Meira’s case, roasted coffee beans are regularly monitored for acrylamide levels, while dried fruit and nut products are tested for mycotoxins.
In addition to contaminant analyses, Meira routinely commissions allergen testing to identify potential cross-contamination risks and ensure that allergen traces are accurately declared on product packaging. These tests are also performed based on risk assessment; for instance, if allergenic ingredients have been handled in the same production facility as the product being analyzed.
“Because our product portfolio is so extensive, we need a testing partner with comprehensive capabilities in accredited allergen and contaminant analysis. Measurlabs delivers on that need exceptionally well,” says Meira’s Quality Manager Salla Rajamäki.
User-friendly customer portal saves valuable working time
Meira’s quality control team places all analysis orders through the Measurlabs customer portal. For a company that orders analytical services on a weekly basis, ease of use is essential. In fact, parts of the portal’s interface were developed based on feedback from Meira’s quality specialists.
“A well-functioning customer portal was, quite frankly, a prerequisite for expanding our collaboration with Measurlabs, as handling paper forms simply doesn’t work with our sample volumes,” says Rajamäki. “Now, placing orders takes just minutes, and we truly appreciate how easy it is to manage both the orders and sample shipments.”
Responsive expert service lays the foundation for long-term collaboration
In addition to routine testing, Measurlabs supports Meira with new testing needs arising from developments in EU legislation. One recent example is the monitoring of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH and MOAH), which the European Commission has recommended since 2022, and which is expected to be incorporated into Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on food contaminants in the coming years. As the analytical methods are still relatively new and detection limits low, obtaining reliable results requires strong methodological expertise and a good understanding of contamination risks from the service provider.
“We received excellent instructions from Pasi Tuomikoski at Measurlabs on how to package the samples for mineral oil analysis to minimize the risk of contamination. We haven’t received such detailed guidance from any other provider,” Rajamäki notes.
Bisphenol A is another topical contaminant, with testing from food matrices becoming increasingly common. The EU recently banned the use of bisphenols in food contact materials, and monitoring requirements are expected to extend to food products themselves in the near future. When Meira recently inquired about analysis options, the response from Measurlabs’ experts came quickly, and the most suitable bisphenol analyses for Meira’s samples were added to the framework offer within a few days.
Overall, the quality of customer service has been one of the key reasons behind Meira’s decision to entrust a large share of its quality control analyses to Measurlabs.
“We value the flexible and responsive customer service, as well as the expert support we’ve received when needed, for example, with interpreting results. Clear reporting and timely delivery are also crucial for our operations,” Rajamäki concludes.