AL Circle x Ashwin Bhadri: How testing, data and regulation are reshaping aluminium packaging safety and compliance

Ashwin Bhadri, Founder & CEO of Equinox Labs, is a leading authority in food safety, packaging compliance and quality assurance. With over two decades of industry experience, he supports food, beverage and nutraceutical brands in managing contamination risks, regulatory compliance and sustainability through science-driven testing, audits and digital quality systems.

In an interview for “End-user Revolution: ALuminium's Impact on Modern Living” e-Magazine, Bhadri explored how aluminium packaging growth is intensifying the need for advanced migration testing, regulatory alignment and predictive quality assurance. It highlights emerging risks in new packaging formats, rising sustainability and circularity demands and how data analytics, AI and nationwide testing infrastructure are helping brands stay compliant, export-ready and cost-efficient.

AL Circle: One of the potential challenges in packaging is migration of chemicals, coatings or residual metal contamination (especially in aluminium cans or foil linings). How are your labs adapting their test panels, instrumentation and protocols to meet these packaging-specific requirements?

Ashwin Bhadri: At Equinox Labs, we’ve enhanced our testing infrastructure to address migration and contamination risks in aluminium cans and foils. Our labs now feature specialised panels for overall and specific migration, heavy metals, and coating integrity, using advanced tools like ICP-MS and GC-MS/MS. We’ve also aligned our protocols with global standards such as EU 10/2011 and BIS norms, ensuring both local and international compliance. The goal is simple: to move from routine testing to predictive quality assurance, helping brands prevent packaging risks before products reach consumers. 

AL Circle: From your data and audits across the food & beverage industry, what are the most common compliance failures or quality risks you observe, especially for brands migrating to new packaging formats like aluminium cans, pouches or hybrid materials?

Ashwin Bhadri: From our experience at Equinox Labs, the most common compliance failures we see when brands shift to new packaging formats are related to migration limits, incorrect labelling, and inadequate compatibility testing. Many companies focus on aesthetics and sustainability but overlook how new materials interact with their product, leading to metal leaching, chemical migration, or sensory changes over time.

We also notice labelling and declaration errors, especially when brands use hybrid or imported materials that fall under multiple regulatory frameworks. Another frequent gap is insufficient real condition validation, where packaging isn’t tested under actual transport or shelf-life conditions.

Our role is to help brands catch these issues early through comprehensive migration studies, accelerated shelf-life analysis, and regulatory audits, ensuring that every packaging innovation remains both safe and compliant.

AL Circle: Lifecycle sustainability and circular economy models are high on the agenda (for example, aluminium’s recyclability advantage). How does Equinox Labs help clients quantify or certify the “circularity” or recycled-content claims of their packaging? Are you seeing more demand for these services?

Ashwin Bhadri: Absolutely, sustainability has become a core part of quality and compliance conversations today. At Equinox Labs, we’re increasingly working with brands to validate recycled-content claims and quantify circularity through material composition testing, lifecycle assessments, and third party audits. Our labs conduct chemical and elemental analysis to verify the proportion of recycled or virgin material in packaging, while our audit teams assess end-to-end traceability from sourcing to postconsumer recovery.

Yes, demand for these services has grown sharply in the last couple of years, especially from beverage and FMCG brands adopting aluminium and paper-based formats. Companies want to back their sustainability claims with credible data and certifications, and that’s where we come in, helping them move from intent to scientifically verified impact.

To read the complete interview, click here.