Food Simulant

A substance used in laboratory testing to mimic the relevant properties of a type of food when evaluating migration of chemicals from food-contact materials.

Because testing every packaging material with every possible food is impractical, standardized food simulants can represent broad food categories such as aqueous, acidic, alcoholic, or fatty foods.

Food simulants therefore help researchers and regulators estimate how substances may migrate under specified conditions.

QUICK FACT

A food simulant is a testing tool, not a substitute for food itself.

COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH

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Clinical & Educational Context

Discussed in Health Articles & Guides

Explore how "Food Simulant" is covered across our evidence-based editorial guides:

1 Article
Health in the Wild

Food Packaging: Unexpected Food Safety Risks you need to know

This is one reason food-contact testing uses different food types or food simulants to represent different kinds of foods.