Swiss Quality Testing Services

What Swiss Quality Testing Services does

SQTS (Swiss Quality Testing Services) is a privately held Swiss laboratory services provider founded in 1930 as the central laboratory of Gottlieb Duttweiler's Migros and now operating as a wholly-owned division (Direktion) of Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund. The company offers ISO/IEC 17025 (STS 0038) accredited analytical testing across three practice areas — Food, Biology (non-food/consumer goods), and Materials (food contact materials and packaging) — from two locations in Dietikon (German-speaking Switzerland) and St-Aubin (French-speaking Switzerland), with a staff of nearly 150 specialists. The core technology base combines classical analytical instrumentation: LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for pathogen identification, and whole genome sequencing for isolate comparison and resistance/virulence gene detection, complemented by broader migration, target and non-target (NIAS) screening for food contact materials.

The business model is B2B professional services. Pricing is quote-based, set per scope of testing with pay-as-you-go billing; standard food testing turnaround runs approximately ten working days. Customers include Swiss food manufacturers, food and packaging retailers (including its parent, Migros), importers, food packaging manufacturers, gastronomy and catering operators, and pet food manufacturers. Distribution is primarily direct, through on-site sample submission at the two laboratories, supplemented since 2022 by a web-based customer portal (web.sqts.ch) for order registration, sample tracking, results retrieval and invoice management. Customer acquisition runs through dedicated account consultants split between Food and FCM/Non-Food, supported by content marketing and participation in professional associations (AOAC, SGLH, SGLWT, SNV, STL, SVI, CEN, DVSI).

SQTS's competitive positioning rests on the breadth of its accredited test catalog (e.g., a PFAS LC-MS/MS method covering more than 35 substances, multi-method pesticide screens covering up to 700 active substances, WGS-based isolate tracking, and NIAS-screening), regulatory expertise covering Swiss and EU food law, and approximately 90 years of institutional history. Recent strategic activity has centered on capacity expansion rather than fundamental business-model change: 2023-2024 saw the relocation of both laboratory locations into state-of-the-art facilities, a multi-year capex program approved by Migros in 2021. Authority is reinforced through Director Peggy Schuhmann's presidency of Swiss Testing Labs (STL) and active employee participation in CEN, SNV, and AOAC standards-setting bodies.

Name

Swiss Quality Testing Services

Legal name

SQTS – Swiss Quality Testing Services

Website

https://sqts.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SQTS is a privately held Swiss laboratory services provider, founded in 1930 and wholly owned by Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, delivering ISO/IEC 17025 accredited analytical testing of food, food contact materials, and consumer goods to manufacturers, retailers, importers, and gastronomy operators across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Safety Laboratory Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen) (AFALAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Safety Certification Bodies (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS, SQF) (AFALAAAC), Regulatory Compliance & HACCP Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA) (AFALAAAD), Labeling, Nutrition Facts & Allergen Verification Services (AFALAAAH), Food, Feed & Nutraceutical Analytical Testing (HLAGADAN)

Keywords

• Food testing services
• Laboratory analytics
• Microbiological testing
• Food safety testing
• Packaging migration analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Dietikon

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Testing Services: B2B laboratory testing services for food, food contact materials, and non-food products. Services include chemical analytical testing, microbiological investigations, marketability assessments, quality management consulting, and inspections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SQTS provides accredited laboratory testing services for food products, food contact materials/packaging, and non-food consumer goods, including chemical-analytical testing, microbiological investigations, marketability assessments, quality management consulting, and on-site inspections. The company serves Swiss food manufacturers, retailers, importers, packaging producers, and gastronomy businesses from two laboratory locations in Dietikon and St-Aubin.

Product overview

SQTS (Swiss Quality Testing Services) is a Swiss laboratory testing services provider organized under three main divisions: Food, Biology, and Materials. The company's service portfolio centers on seven core service areas: chemical-analytical food testing, food contact material testing (FCM), microbiological testing, marketability assessment, quality and risk management consulting, training/consulting, and inspections. Testing categories span meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, convenience foods, special foods, pet food, and food contact materials/packaging. SQTS offers a comprehensive laboratory information management system (web portal) for customers to submit orders, access results, download reports, and track invoices. The company operates two laboratory locations in Switzerland (Dietikon and St-Aubin) and serves primarily Swiss retailers, manufacturers, and importers with accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 (STS 0038).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chemical-Analytical Food Testing (Überblick Untersuchungen in Lebensmitteln) Comprehensive chemical-analytical food testing service for food manufacturers, retailers, and importers covering residue analysis, microbiology, nutritional values, contaminants, molecular biological and immunological analyses, and GMO testing.
• Food Contact Material Testing (FCM) Testing of food contact materials and packaging systems for packaging manufacturers and food producers, including migration simulation, target analysis of reference substances, and non-target screening for NIAS (non-intentional added substances) with evaluation against Swiss and EU legal requirements.
• Microbiological Testing (Mikrobiologische Untersuchungen) Qualitative and quantitative microbiological analyses for food producers and retailers covering pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, E. coli (with virulence factors Stx1, Stx2, intimin), coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (with toxins), whole genome sequencing for pathogen tracking, and surface/packaging microbiology.
• Marketability Testing (Verkehrsfähigkeitsprüfung) Marketability assessment service for food manufacturers and importers including labeling verification, declaration creation, nutritional analysis correlation, claims evaluation, food vs. medicinal product classification, and legal consultation under Swiss and EU law.
• Quality and Risk Management Consulting (Qualitätsmanagement und Risikomanagement) Risk-based consulting service for product safety assessment covering project-specific conceptual consulting on risks and testing frequency, risk-adjusted examination scope, and support throughout the value chain.
• Consulting and Training (Beratungen / Schulungen) Training and consulting services covering quality management, process optimization in food production, GMP, HACCP, employee hygiene, risk-based testing plan creation, and RoHS/REACH/CE conformity verification for Non-Food and FCM sectors.
• Inspections (Inspektionen) On-site inspection and hygiene consulting service for food and non-food sectors covering retail stores, gastronomy businesses, and shops (e.g., gas stations) with tailored controls based on customer-specific requirements.
• Meat and Fish Testing (Fleisch, Fisch) Quality testing service for meat and fish products for producers, processors, and retailers, including microbiological parameters, veterinary drug residues, connective tissue content, fat and water content, polyphosphate determination, and species verification for product authenticity.
• Fruit and Vegetable Testing (Früchte, Gemüse) Residue analysis and contaminant testing service for producers, importers, processors, and distributors of fruits and vegetables, including multi-method LC/GC testing for up to 700 active substances, germination inhibitors, fumigation agents, QAVs, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and microbiological parameters.
• Dairy Product Testing (Milchprodukte) Comprehensive testing service for dairy products including characteristic parameters (fat content, dry matter, additives), microbiological safety, special investigations such as origin determination (animal species) and lactose-free verification.
• Convenience Product Testing (Convenienceprodukte) Risk-based analytical testing of convenience food composition for manufacturers and retailers, including definition of nutritional values, additives, allergens, residues, and microbiological investigations with result interpretation.
• Special Food Testing (Speziallebensmittel) Testing and regulatory compliance service for special dietary foods, including claims evaluation, food vs. medicinal product classification, labeling verification, and declaration template creation.
• Pet Food Testing (Heimtierfuttermittel) Legal compliance testing service for pet food products under Swiss legislation, including nutritional analysis (crude fiber, vitamins, minerals, heavy metals), labeling verification, and regulatory consultation.
• Food Contact Materials / Packaging / Consumer Goods Testing (Lebensmittelkontaktmaterialien / Verpackungen / Bedarfsgegenstände) Testing service for food contact materials and packaging systems using simulants to simulate storage conditions. Analyzes with GC and LC-MS methods for both screening and targeted substance detection, with evaluation against legal requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Standard food testing: approximately 10 working days turnaround time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SGLH - Schweizerische Gesellschaft für LebensmittelhygienecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQTS has been a member of SGLH for many years. SGLH is the Swiss Society for Food Hygiene.
• SGLWT - Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft und -TechnologiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQTS has been a member of SGLWT for many years. SGLWT is the Swiss Society for Food Science and Technology.
• AOAC International - Association of Official Agricultural ChemistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQTS employees actively participate in various AOAC working groups (pesticides, allergens, mycotoxins). Customers directly benefit from the further development of analytical methods in these areas.
• CEN Technical Committees - European Committee for StandardizationcoreTechnology or IntegrationParticipation in European standardization technical committees for harmonized standards.
• DVSI - Deutscher Verband der Spielwarenindustrie e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership guarantees continuous updates in toy safety. German Toy Industry Association.
• ETH Zürich - Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule ZürichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich for research and expertise exchange.
• ILSI Europe - International Life Sciences Institute EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQTS membership within ILSI Europe for international life sciences knowledge sharing.
• IVLV - Industrievereinigung für Lebensmitteltechnologie und Verpackung e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman association for food technology and packaging.
• SFC - Swiss Society for Food ChemistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Society for Food Chemistry membership for professional exchange.
• SNV - Schweizer NormenvereinigungcoreTechnology or IntegrationVarious employees are engaged in developing standards within SNV, particularly in food, textiles, safety and hygiene requirements, articles in contact with food, and nanotechnology.
• STL - Swiss Testing LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeggy Schuhmann (SQTS Director) serves as President of STL. SQTS is a member of the Swiss Testing Labs association.
• SVI - Schweizerisches VerpackungsinstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Packaging Institute partnership. SQTS involved in Joint Industry Group (JIG) for food packaging safety.
• VUP - Deutscher Verband unabhängiger PrüflaboratoriencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQTS has been a member of VUP for many years. German Association of Independent Testing Laboratories.
• Migros-Genossenschafts-BundcoreOthersSQTS is a division (Direktion) of Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund, providing attractive employment conditions as part of the Migros Group.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• NSF International: Global public health and safety organization offering food safety testing, certification (including SQF) and consulting. Overlaps with SQTS in regulatory testing, HACCP consulting, and food safety training/certification programs.
• Labcorp / Eurofins Food Integrity & Innovation: Specialized food integrity and authenticity testing arm of Eurofins, including non-targeted screening (NIAS), WGS-based pathogen tracking, and migration analytics — directly comparable to SQTS' advanced analytical offerings.

Broad incumbents

• SGS SA: Swiss-headquartered global testing, inspection and certification giant with a sizeable food and agri testing business. Larger and broader than SQTS but most directly comparable on Swiss soil given shared Geneva-area roots and overlapping food testing methods.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC incumbent with a Consumer Products and Agri-Food testing portfolio covering food contact materials, contaminants, and microbiological analyses. Overlaps with SQTS across food packaging compliance and consumer goods testing.
• TÜV SÜD: German-origin TIC incumbent operating food testing labs in Europe. Competes with SQTS in food contact material migration testing, REACH/RoHS chemical compliance, and toy/non-food consumer product safety work.
• Intertek Group: UK-listed testing and quality assurance group with food and food contact material testing services across Europe. Competes with SQTS in regulatory testing, contaminant analysis, and supply-chain quality programs.
• ALS Limited: Australian-listed global testing services group with a Life Sciences / Food & Pharmaceutical division. Provides comparable environmental and food testing methodologies, with European laboratory operations.

Direct peers

• Tentamus Group: European laboratory network specializing in food, feed, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals testing with strong presence in Germany and Switzerland. Directly comparable in FCM migration testing, pesticide residue, and microbiological services.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in food, feed and environmental testing with extensive operations across Europe including Switzerland. Directly competes with SQTS in microbiological, chemical, pesticide, and contaminant testing for food manufacturers and retailers.
• Mérieux NutriSciences: Food-focused testing services provider (part of Institut Mérieux) with comprehensive microbiological and chemical testing across Europe. Closest direct comparability on food safety, shelf-life, contaminant, and regulatory testing services targeted at manufacturers, retailers, and caterers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swiss Quality Testing Services