Authenticating the biobased Carbon content of food packaging

/ in Featured Articles, Sustainability

Jordan Turner, Marketing Coordinator, SGS Beta, examines how Carbon-14 testing provides food and beverage companies with accurate, third-party verification of biomass-derived content in packaging materials. As the bioplastics market grows rapidly – projected to reach US$44.77 billion by 2030 – manufacturers need reliable methods to authenticate sustainability claims and meet consumer expectations for eco-friendly packaging solutions.

The biobased packaging industry has been growing in recent years as suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors divert away from petrochemical-derived materials. These changes are being driven by factors including an increase in environmental and sustainability awareness and concern from consumers, as well as changing global governmental regulations that limit or ban single-use plastics.

Bioplastics are a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based ingredients used in traditional plastics. The bioplastics market is anticipated to continue its trend of significant growth in the coming years. Projections predict the overall bioplastics market will experience a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.5%, reaching a value of US$44.77 billion by 2030. [1] This includes bioplastic food and beverage packaging such as boxes, films, and bags. The green packaging market on its own shows a similarly strong growth rate. Green packaging is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from its 2024 value of US$324,825 million to US$503,434 million by 2030 with the food and beverage sector accounting for a significant amount of this growth. [2]

Global bioplastics production reached approximately 2.2 million tons in 2022 with packaging accounting for 48% of that volume. [3] This trend of packaging representing nearly half of bioplastic production capacity is expected to continue as the volume reaches its projected growth of 6.3 million tons by 2027. [4] The term “green packaging” includes sustainable and biobased (or biomass-derived) materials.

How can food and beverage companies ensure their packaging meets consumer standards?

Carbon-14 biobased content testing provides an accurate third-party solution for verifying the biomass-derived content of packaging materials. Results provide evidence-based data that can be used to support marketing claims and validate sustainable, eco-friendly product formulations.

The methodology of Carbon-14 biobased testing

Carbon-14 testing is based on internationally recognized analytic standards including ASTM D686, ISO 16620, and EN 16640. This is a well-established method for biobased content measurement of bioplastics and other solid, liquid, and gaseous materials that are derived from biomass. Analysis is undertaken via Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to 0differentiate between biobased and petroleum-based Carbon of raw materials or end products.

Also known as radiocarbon, Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope found in all living things. It is ideal for measuring the biobased content of biomass-derived materials. Carbon-14 has a detection limit of 43,500 years before present (BP). The process of radioactive decay will degrade Carbon-14 that is older than this limit, meaning petroleum-derived components will not have measurable Carbon-14 left (Figure 1). Measurable Carbon-14 will only be detected in the portion of a sample that originates from recently living biomass. [5] Therefore, biobased testing is highly accurate because it directly measures the amount of biomass that comes from renewable sources.

% biobased Carbon versus % fossil-derived Carbon

Biobased testing results are represented as a percentage (%) of the amount of Carbon-14 in a sample between 0% and 100%. A fully petroleum-derived packaging material will result in 0% biobased content while a fully biomass-derived material will show a biobased content result of 100%. Results between these numbers indicate a mixture of petroleum and biomass-derived materials where the percentage identifies the amount that is biobased (Figure 2).

These easily understood, precise results provide a number of advantages for biobased manufacturers who measure the biobased Carbon content of their raw materials and end products throughout the supply chain, from initial product formulation to certification and marketing. During manufacturing, research and development, and quality assurance processes, biobased testing results verify the exact biomass content of raw materials. When it comes to product marketing, results support biobased content claims and efforts to meet consumer demand and expectations by ensuring label claims are accurate. Additionally, Carbon-14 biobased content results are often required as part of the process of applying for globally recognized eco-labels and certification programs.

Applicable biobased eco-labels & certifications

Biobased testing is often a requirement for global regulatory programmes and eco-labels such as the USDA BioPreferred® Program [6] , the SGS Green Mark Biobased Certification [7] , the European Biobased Content Certification Scheme [8] , and DIN CERTCO’s DIN-Geprüft Biobased scheme. [9] The USDA BioPreferred Program requires a minimum percentage of biobased content for a product to be eligible for its USDA Certified Biobased Product label. The label displays a product’s third-party verification status and its percentage of biobased content in a way that’s easily visible to consumers. Qualification requires samples to be sent to an approved ISO 17025-accredited Carbon-14 testing laboratory for biobased content testing and it should meet a minimum percentage of biobased content based on its product category. For example, disposable containers for food items have a requirement of 72% biobased content to qualify. [10]

The SGS Green Mark Biobased Certification is another programme that requires ASTM D6686, EN 16640, or ISO 16620-2 standardized biobased content testing. To qualify for the label, a product must have a biobased content percentage of at least 20%. Once certified, the product receives a label showing the standard under which the product was certified and its percentage of biobased content.

The DIN CERTCO DIN-Geprüft Biobased Certification accepts packaging that is derived in full or part from biobased raw materials. Certification criteria require biobased testing according to the ASTM D6866 or ISO 16620 analytical standard. Upon completion of analysis, a certificate stating that the product is biobased is issued. Similarly, the European Biobased Content Certification Scheme provides a label for products that meet minimum standards for biobased content and have been tested by qualified laboratories via Carbon-14 analysis according to the EN 16785 standard.

Conclusion

The prevalence of biobased packaging in the bioplastics industry is expected to remain strong, seeing significant growth in the coming years. This growth is influenced by factors such as consumer demand for sustainable and eco-friendly food and beverage packaging and governmental regulations that aim to reduce reliance on single-use plastic items. Bioplastics and biobased packaging provide a sustainable solution to the overuse of traditional plastics. Replacing traditional plastics with biobased alternatives requires an accurate, third-party verification method to ensure packaging raw materials and final products are sustainably sourced from biomass rather than petroleum-derived materials. Test results authenticate the amount of biobased content in a given sample and can be used in support of marketing claims for sustainable packaging. Additionally, several global regulations and eco-labels recognize Carbon-14 biobased testing as a reliable analytical method, often recommending or requiring analysis as part of their application process.

About the author and SGS Beta

Jordan Turner is Marketing Coordinator at SGS Beta. He has written several articles on a variety of multidisciplinary topics related to SGS Beta’s analytical methodology and services. SGS Beta is an ISO 17025-accredited Carbon-14 testing laboratory based in Miami, Florida with a turnaround time of 7 business days or less for natural ingredient testing. The analysis is applicable to various sample types including flavours, essential oils, cosmetics, curcumin, and food & dietary supplements. SGS Beta reports results for natural products source testing according to international standards ASTM D6866 and ISO 16620-2. Take advantage of their free resources including excellent customer service in 10 languages and on-demand educational webinars. Sending samples is easy and convenient through our global forwarding facilities.

To learn more, visit https://www.betalabservices.com.

References

1. Grand View Research. Bioplastics Market (2025 – 2030). Grand View Research. [online]. [Accessed 8 October 2025]. Available from: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bioplastics-industry
2. Grand View Research. Green Packaging Market (2025 – 2030). Grand View Research. [online]. [Accessed 8 October 2025]. Available from: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/green-packaging-market
3. European Bioplastics. Bioplastics packaging – combining performance with sustainability – Materials and market development in the packaging segment. [online]. [Accessed 15 October 2025]. Available from: https://docs.european-bioplastics.org/publications/fs/EUBP_FS_Packging.pdf
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8. Bio-based content certification scheme. Bio-based Content. Bio-based content certification scheme. [online]. [Accessed 17 October 2025]. Available from: https://biobasedcontent.eu/
9. DIN CERTCO. Biobased products. DIN CERTCO. [online]. [Accessed 17 October 2025]. Available from: https://www.dincertco.de/din-certco/en/main-navigation/products-and-services/certification-of-products/environmental-field/biobased-products/
10. Biopreferred. Product Categories. United States Department of Agriculture. [online]. [Accessed 17 October 2025]. Available from: https://www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred/faces/pages/ProductCategories.xhtml