Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in various industrial and commercial applications, including packaging materials. They are persistent in the environment, meaning that they are not easily degradable and can accumulate in living organisms over time. This can lead to various health problems, including liver damage, thyroid disease, and cancer. That’s why Veltia Labs for Life decided to become the first company in Greece achieving this accreditation.

The “SmartLab4.0” project basic idea was the automation and the seamless blending of machines, people, processes and data, formulate cutting-edge trends that drive the disruption of the modern industry. Industry 4.0 was actually the first industrial revolution that the country of Greece, was challenged to participate actively. “SmartLab4.0” aimed to create a wide range of innovative and efficient research activities, that would enable rapid deployment in the production lines of Veltia Labs for Life, while providing an integrated solution with direct economic and business impact. The core accomplishments were the complete digitization of the life cycle of the laboratories from the receipt of the samples, the measurement and opinion of the results, to the printing of the certificates and the automation of the communication with the customers & the development of a dynamic customer service platform (Extranet) with automated download of certificates and opinions as well as updates on the progress of their samples, in near real time. Along with these innovations, business intelligence developed with multi-criteria reports to support decision-making and optimization of production processes.

The Project is implemented within the framework of the Single Action of State Aid for Research, Technological Development & Innovation "RESEARCH – CREATE – INNOVATE" of the BP. "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (EPANEK) 2014-2020 and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Furthermore, Veltia Labs for Life achieved accreditation for Patulin, Coumarin, MOSH/POSH, Ethanol, Lactose, Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂), Nitrate & Nitrite salts, Alternaria Toxins and Ethylene Oxide in the past months. In the field of Pesticide Residues, Veltia gained accreditation for Guazatine, for difficult or unique commodities such as hops, cocoa beans, coffee, tea, spices, herbs etc., as well as for high fat content products of plant origin (e.g. olives and oil seeds), for Milk and milk products, for Seafood, for High sugar content products. All the above relate to food substrates, while in water the accreditations are about Haloacetic acids (HAAs), Bisphenol A, PFAS, Chlorite ion, Sulfates, Fluorine, VOCs: Geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol & Microcystin LR.

About Veltia Labs for Life

Veltia Labs for Life, headquartered in Thessaloniki (Greece), consists of various companies located in strategic points on the map. These include 4 branches in Greece, as well as, locations in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey & Romania. Veltia’s lab services extend to Physiochemical, Instrumental, Microbiological, Molecular & Sensorial and serve the Fruits & Vegetables, Food & Feed, Oils & Olives, Water & Waste, Soil & Plant Tissues and last but not least Agriscience industries. In addition, the company offers Legislation & Labelling check, Sampling services, and covers the needs in the Tourism & HORECA sectors.

Veltia Labs for Life numbers more than 200 people total workforce with highly specialized and experienced professionals, has over 3.500 unique clients and handles successfully approximately 150.000 commercial samplesper year. Please find further information at www.veltialabs.gr.