SGS expands laboratory capabilities in Bulgaria with newly launched advanced radiological testing
All testing is performed under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, ensuring accuracy, quality and full compliance with international standards.
BULGARIA – The SGS, a testing, inspection and certification company, has expanded its laboratory capabilities in Bulgaria with the launch of advanced radiological testing services in Varna.
This investment directly addresses growing regional concerns about food and feed safety.
SGS’s enhanced testing scope enables rapid and reliable analysis of a wide range of samples, ensuring safety, compliance, and confidence in regional and global supply chains.
The new radiological testing capabilities cover a broad suite of analyses essential for commodity trade and consumer safety.
They include: Gamma radionuclides (Cs-134, Cs-137, I-131, Ru-103 and others) in grains, oilseeds, feed, food, soil and water, Gross alpha and beta activity, Strontium-90, Radon-222 and Radium-226 in water, and Tritium (H-3) in water.
All testing is performed under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, ensuring accuracy, quality and full compliance with international standards.
The standard testing turnaround time at the Varna laboratory is two to five working days, depending on sample type. For urgent needs, results are offered in as little as eight hours, with 24/7 testing provision on request.
This rapid response service is ideal for immediate clearance of short-distance cargo transfers, fast decision-making in commodity trading, and ensuring product safety before processing or shipment.
Radiological testing enhances SGS’s already extensive capabilities at the Varna laboratory. The site is ISO 17025 accredited, a Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations (FOSFA) analyst for oilseeds, fats and oils, a Gafta analyst for grain and feed, GMP+ certified, and VLOG approved.
From microbiological and chemical safety to genetically modified organisms (GMO) verification and quality analysis, the laboratory provides a single access point for comprehensive food and feed testing services.
Veselka Pashova, Laboratory Manager at SGS in Bulgaria, commented, saying, “The addition of radiological testing to our Varna laboratory represents our commitment to addressing regional safety concerns with world-class analytical solutions. By offering the shortest analytical times in the market with 24/7 availability, we’re ensuring that our clients can make informed decisions without compromising on speed or accuracy.”
This expansion is particularly significant when viewed against the scientific and environmental backdrop of how radioactivity interacts with agricultural systems.
Radioactivity in Agricultural systems
Certain geographical locations with high natural presence of radioactive minerals which may end up as radioactive isotopes, pose a greater risk to food, feed, forestry, and the aquatic supply chain due to radiological contamination.
Radioactivity describes the natural process by which atoms such as Radium 226 and Strontium-90 spontaneously disintegrate, emitting both particles and energy as they transform into different, more stable atoms.
It can occur naturally in all food through different ways of transfer into crops. It could be from rocks and minerals present in the soil, drinking water from the earth, or in fish and shellfish from the water or the sea floor.
Artificial radioactivity can also get into food when radioactive materials are discharged into the environment from civil or military nuclear operations, as happened in Fukushima, Japan, after the 2011 accident. This radioactivity then passes through the food chain in the same way as natural radioactivity.
While low doses of radiation are reparable and do not pose immediate health risks, higher doses can change the body’s cells, damage DNA, and increase the likelihood of developing long-term issues like cancer and cardiovascular disease. Other severe health effects include skin burns and acute radiation syndrome, commonly referred to as radiation sickness.
On that account, SGS’s radiological testing services, which have been operational since 2024 and fully accredited in early 2025, reflect the company’s ongoing mission to safeguard health, trade and sustainability.
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