For over 40 years, Butterworth Laboratories has provided independent, contract analytical services to the global pharmaceutical and related industries.
An information sheet that explores Sub-Visible Particulate testing: what these particles are and why testing is important, regulation limits and the benefits of outsourcing testing.
To read or download the Whitepaper: Click Here
To view other White Papers published by Butterworth: Click Here
Here’s the latest news from Butterworth Laboratories, including updates on recent activities and articles sharing insights into our practical scientific expertise. We are committed to supporting our clients and promoting informed decision-making across the pharmaceutical and wider analytical sectors, so please get in touch if there is anything we can assist you with.
Butterworth will be attending CPHI in Milan this October. The event offers an excellent opportunity to reconnect with clients, discuss current projects and explore how our analytical expertise could support future requirements.
If you are also attending or are considering it and would like to meet with the Butterworth team, please contact us in advance to arrange a convenient time.
Arrange a meeting with us at CPHI: Click Here
We recently replaced our Servomex instrument, which is featured on our Techniques webpage, which is used for Oxygen Purity Analysis as well as Trace Impurities.
Learn more about this analytical technique: Click here
Our latest blog posts explore several subjects relevant to pharmaceutical analysis and quality:
Measurement Uncertainty
Understanding and evaluating uncertainty is an important part of producing meaningful, reliable analytical results. Read more:
The Good Old Days
A reflective look at how laboratory practice and analytical technology have evolved. Read more:
Using the Chinese Pharmacopoeia
Practical considerations when working with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and applying its requirements. Read more:
Read all our latest Blogs/Articles: Click Here
The next JPAG meeting takes place on 1st October and is titled “Sampling and Sample Preparation: The Cornerstones of Analytical Strategy and Successful Method Development.”
Sampling, sample storage and sample preparation can have a significant impact on
quality, yet they do not always receive the same attention as the measurement itself. The meeting will consider their essential role in representative, robust and successful analytical methods.
We look forward to meeting clients and networking with other delegates.
Here’s the latest news from Butterworth Laboratories, including updates on recent activities and articles sharing insights into our practical scientific expertise. We are committed to supporting our clients and promoting informed decision-making across the pharmaceutical and wider analytical sectors, so please get in touch if there is anything we can assist you with.
Given the current spell of exceptionally hot weather in the UK, clients submitting samples for analysis may wish to review transport and packaging arrangements, particularly where sample stability could be affected by heat exposure. Appropriate planning can help ensure samples arrive in optimal condition and minimise the risk of delays or repeat testing.
LC-MS/MS has become an increasingly important tool in modern analytical chemistry, offering exceptional sensitivity and selectivity together with the ability to detect compounds at very low levels within complex matrices.
In this latest blog, Greta Litauszki, Project Manager, explains the principles behind LC-MS/MS, how the technology works, and why it has become an indispensable analytical tool across the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.
The article explores the advantages of LC-MS/MS over traditional techniques, and highlights applications ranging from pharmaceutical analysis and biomolecule characterisation to environmental and food testing.
To read the full Blog. Click Here
Not every laboratory system needs replacing just because it’s ageing. If a piece of equipment is used only occasionally, the costs of upgrading, maintaining, validating, and training staff on it, may not make commercial sense.
Our latest blog explores when outsourcing can be the smarter route. Helping your laboratories reduce capital expenditure, avoid underutilised assets, and maintain access to specialist analytical expertise when needed.
To read the full Blog. Click Here
In this latest blog, Tim Goddard, – Laboratory Manager – General & Inorganic, traces the development of pharmacopoeias from their earliest origins through to the modern standards that underpin pharmaceutical quality and regulatory compliance today.
To read the full Blog. Click Here
Butterworth Laboratories recently exhibited at a JPAG meeting held in conjunction with the Chromatographic Society at RSC Burlington House:
“The Chromatographic (Analytical) Method Life Cycle (2026): From Cradle to Grave III”. Over the two days of the event, there were a number of interesting presentations and networking opportunities with clients and speakers.
John Welch, Associate Director – Business Operations, attended the London Lab Live event at Excel, London. The exhibition had a range of exhibitors and a series of seminars.
Sustainability emerged as a key theme throughout the exhibition, and the information gathered was of particular interest to members of the Butterworth Green team.
Mala Patel, Business Development Manager and Hala Suluman, Quotes Team,
attended ChemExpoUK, providing an excellent opportunity to reconnect with clients and engage with professionals from across the chemical industry.
Mala also attended the USP London Forum. The event provided valuable insight into current developments within the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory expectations, and future directions for compendial standards. It was particularly useful to hear directly from USP experts and industry peers about the challenges and opportunities facing pharmaceutical manufacturers, contract laboratories, and quality teams.
The forum provided an excellent opportunity to connect with industry colleagues, discuss current analytical challenges, and gain valuable insight into evolving regulatory and compendial expectations. The knowledge gained will help ensure that Butterworth Laboratories continues to support clients with the highest standards of analytical expertise and regulatory understanding.
Our next exhibition will be a JPAG event at RSC Burlington House on 9 July, entitled Analytical Method Technology Transfers, a subject that fits well with the services offered by the Butterworth Projects Department.
We will be attending another JPAG event on the 1st October, titled “Sampling and Sample Preparation: The Cornerstones of Analytical Strategy and Successful Method Development”, a topic closely aligned with the expertise of our Quality Control Laboratories.
Also in October, we have booked to attend CPHI Milan. If you are planning to attend CPHI Milan and would like to discuss your analytical testing requirements, we would be delighted to meet with you.
Contact us at Business@butterworth-labs.co.uk to arrange an appointment.
Airborne pollutants are produced by a variety of anthropogenic sources, including industrial processes and power generation. Over recent decades in the UK, a lot of attention has also focused on vehicle emissions, but primarily those associated with the combustion process, ie. tailpipe exhaust emissions.
Butterworth Laboratories has contributed data to an inter-laboratory study into brake wear emissions from road vehicles conducted by the National Physical Laboratory.
To read the full News Publication. Click Here
In the world of analytical chemistry, not everything worth measuring is easy to see. Many compounds lack chromophores, making them invisible to traditional UV detectors. This is where HPLC-ELSD steps in, offering a powerful, versatile solution for detecting analytes that would otherwise go unnoticed.
To read our Latest Blog. Click Here
We’re pleased to report that we had an excellent time at this year’s exhibition, which, for the first time, also incorporated Making Nutraceuticals.
Attendance this year increased significantly. In total, we had around 35 visitors to the site, and spoke to about 25 current or potential new clients. There was also the opportunity to talk with other contract testing laboratories and attend a number of seminars given by organisations such as the MHRA.
The incorporation of Making Nutraceuticals attracted a broader audience. It also allowed us to engage with new exhibitors and gain further insight into their analytical requirements.
From 2027, the organisers have confirmed that the exhibition will move to the NEC, where they plan to expand the scope and coverage in future years.
Following the success of this year’s event, Butterworth is planning to exhibit in 2027 and would encourage all our clients who did not attend this year to attend and come and talk to us at next year’s event.
The next event that Butterworth will be exhibiting at is a 2-day Symposium held in conjunction with The Chromatography Society, titled ‘The Chromatographic (Analytical) Method Life Cycle (2026): From Cradle to Grave III’.
The meeting aims to provide clear insight into successful strategies across a range of critical areas. The meeting will give attendees a way to share real experiences with other professionals and offer excellent networking opportunities.
We look forward to meeting with the speakers, clients, and potential clients, to provide information on the Chromatography and other Techniques we offer.
Future JPAG Meetings in 2026, which we will also be exhibiting at, include:
All JPAG Meetings are held at the Royal Society of Chemistry, Burlington House, London
Mala Patel and Hala Suleman will be attending this event at the NEC as delegates on Thursday, 21st May. This event provides us with the opportunity to speak with clients and potential clients in the UK Chemicals sector, who are often suppliers to the Pharmaceutical industry.
If you are attending or exhibiting and would like to arrange a time to meet with Mala and Hala at the NEC, please email: business@butterworth-labs.co.uk
It is with great sadness that we inform you that Colin Ward, our Head of IT, passed away recently.
He started at Butterworth in 2012 as a Systems Administrator, then became Head of IT six years later. Having started his career as a chemist in the soap and surfactant industry, he returned to university to complete a degree in Computer Science and study for a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.
He will be fondly remembered and missed by all those who knew him, and our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Airborne pollutants are produced by a variety of anthropogenic sources including industrial processes and power generation. Over recent decades in the UK, a lot of attention has also focused on vehicle emissions, but primarily those associated with the combustion process, i.e. tailpipe exhaust emissions. Road transport also generates non-exhaust emissions (NEE), such as those generated by erosion of vehicle components like brakes and tyres, or road surface wear and re-suspended dust1. The UK Health Forum estimates that air pollution-related diseases cost the NHS more than £2 billion in medical expenses and kill over 30,000 people in the UK each year2, so there is an established need to measure and characterise these pollutants.
Butterworth Laboratories has contributed data to an inter-laboratory study into brake wear emissions from road vehicles conducted by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)3. A novel sampling apparatus was developed to collect brake wear particulate samples from vehicles. These samples were sent to four separate laboratories across academia and industry.
For this study, the brake wear samples were subjected to microwave digestion in acid, then tested for heavy metals by ICP-MS. The Butterworth results were in close agreement with those from the other laboratories, supporting method development for the study.
Reproduced with kind permission from NPL3
Following the introduction of Euro 7 standards in November 2026, limits will be set on brake particulate emissions for the first time4. The current study underpins the capability to collect samples and provide high-quality measurements of brake wear chemical composition in support of public health, national atmospheric emissions inventory benchmarking and the UK’s commitment to Net Zero.
Jody Cheong from NPL presented the study as a poster at STEM for Britain 2026 in Parliament and received a Silver Award. This work has clearly made an impact, so congratulations, Jody!
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7439988592472555520
Butterworth Laboratories are proud of the contribution our analytical testing is making to the field of air quality research.
Sharon Goddard – QC Officer
1. Goddard, S. L., Williams, K. R., Robins, C. et al. Determination of antimony and barium in UK air quality samples as indicators of non-exhaust traffic emissions. Environ Monit Assess 191, 641 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7774-8
2. Public Health England (2018), Health matters: Air pollution. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution
3. Cheong J. H. L. et al. (2026) The Path to Cleaner Air: A Pioneering Inter-Laboratory Study on Brake Wear Emissions from Road Vehicles. https://stemforbritain.org.uk/posters-awards-2026/jc26_POS.pdf
4. Vehicle emissions and battery durability (Euro 7): technical requirements and certification rules. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/vehicle-emissions-and-battery-durability-euro-7-technical-requirements-and-certification-rules.html
We’re excited to be exhibiting at Making Pharmaceuticals 2026, taking place at the Coventry Building Society Arena on 21–22 April 2026.
Whether you’re exploring new partnerships or looking to optimise your current testing strategy, we’d love to connect. The event is free to attend, and our team – John Welch, Mala Patel, and Adam Dempsey – will be on hand to discuss how Butterworth Laboratories can support your analytical testing needs with quality, reliability and expertise.
To make the most of your visit, book a meeting in advance at Business@butterworth-labs.co.uk, or simply stop by Stand 611 – we look forward to seeing you there.
A short article published by Manufacturing Chemist, written by John Welch – Associate Director Business Operations, on Butterworth’s use of on using a dedicated Amino Acid Analyser to enable them to provide verified testing for all listed amino acids in the European Pharmacopoeia monographs.
We have published a number of blogs in March, including these two:
Safely Managing Highly Hazardous Reagents, Hydrofluoric Acid in Pharmacopoeia Testing
In the world of pharmacopoeia testing, not all reagents are created equal, and some require exceptional care.
Senior Analytical Chemist, Meghann Simcock, dives into how Butterworth Laboratories expertly handle highly hazardous reagents, such as Hydrofluoric Acid (HF), and gases, such as hydrogen sulfide and chlorine, to deliver accurate, compliant results without compromising safety.
The pMDI Propellant of Tomorrow: Regulatory History and the Emergence of HFO 1234ze(E)
The shift to climate-friendly propellants is gathering momentum, but it also increases analytical complexity and makes more demands on internal laboratory resources.
In our latest blog, Consultant Chemist – Chromatography, Frank Judge explores what this transition means and how companies can stay ahead while maintaining compliance and timelines.
To see all our Blogs and Subscribe to them, click: Here
John Welch, our Associate Director, Business Operations, shared his perspective on the considerations and benefits of outsourcing raw material testing with Pharma Services Hub. The article is a practical guide to selecting the right service providers for material testing. It covers critical aspects to consider when outsourcing, including choosing fit-for-purpose analytical methods, detecting low-level impurities, ensuring method robustness and regulatory alignment, and mitigating supplier variability. Whether you’re evaluating capacity, expertise, or technical capabilities, these insights help make informed decisions and build confidence in every batch.
Read the full article on outsourcing raw material testing here.
Since 2023, Butterworth Laboratories has proudly sponsored the Doris Butterworth Award, presented to the student who has demonstrated outstanding performance throughout their Analytical Chemistry course at Kingston University. This year’s award went to Ryan, who recently graduated with an MSc in Analytical Chemistry and Mala and John were delighted to present the award to Ryan at the graduation ceremony on 22 January. Ryan discussed his project, which involved using ICP-MS to analyse public water sources in London for heavy metal contamination. He has agreed to write a short synopsis of this work, which we will publish on our website upon receipt.
It is with great sadness that we inform you that Harmit Gill, a member of our General Lab for over 18 years, recently passed away. He will be fondly remembered and missed by all those who knew him, and our thoughts go out to his family.
Meghann Simcock, one of our Senior Analytical Chemists, describes how careful sample preparation, advanced instrumentation, and rigorous quality controls at Butterworth Laboratories ensure accurate, compliant, and reliable Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) results across a wide range of materials and regulatory requirements. Read her Blog here to find out more. Click Here
We have always strived to provide the highest levels of customer service, and we are keen to listen to our clients’ feedback to help us do better in the future. We would therefore appreciate it if you could take 3 minutes to complete a short survey. It can be completed anonymously, and every piece of feedback is important to us. To participate in the Survey: Click Here. Thank you for your cooperation.
Having completed our 50th Anniversary year in 2024, our theme for 2025 was laying down the foundations for our future. We understand how important it is for our customers to be able to rely on us to deliver high-quality services on time and, to do this, it is essential that we have the capacity and the best possible facilities.
Work has now started on the latest phase of our site modernisation project, which will create additional laboratory space and well-equipped modern facilities. A major influence on the design of this new build is our goal to have a minimal environmental impact together with high levels of sustainability. In addition to its energy-efficient design, the building will also feature PV panels capable of generating 20 kW of electricity. Although this initial capacity won’t be enough to cover our entire consumption, it can be expanded further as and when we complete future stages of our site’s redevelopment. Another feature is the air conditioning, which is designed to extract the surplus heat emitted from our instruments and then use it to warm the office areas. We will provide you with an update when the work is completed in 2026.
This year, we have continued to fine-tune our processes to ensure we can deliver even better levels of service. We always welcome visits from our clients, as they enable us to demonstrate our capabilities, professionalism, knowledge, and expertise. This year, it was a pleasure to host 34 client audits, all of which had very successful outcomes with very few observations raised. If you are an existing client or considering using our services for the first time, why not contact our QA team to arrange a visit in 2026?
Our success in 2025 has not only been down to the excellent people we have at Butterworth, but also to our wonderful clients. We would like to thank you all for your continued support and for using our services in 2025. On behalf of us all at Butterworth Laboratories, we look forward to continuing to work with you throughout 2026 and beyond.
Wishing you a lovely Christmas period and a prosperous 2026.
We have been working hard to keep our costs under control and improve our efficiency to ensure we can keep our charges to a minimum without sacrificing our high levels of quality and service. Inevitably, though, we need to keep pace with the current rate of inflation and because of this, our charges will increase by 3.5% on the 1st of January.
Please contact info@butterworth-labs.co.uk
We are delighted to announce that Butterworth was awarded the Environmental Sustainability Award at the Richmond Upon Thames Business Awards on Friday, 5th December. This recognition reflects our own sustained efforts to minimise environmental impact and to embed sustainable practices across every aspect of our operations.
We also received the following awards:
• Best Professional Practice Award – Highly Commended
• Best Customer Service Award – Highly Commended
• Best Training and Development – Highly Commended
• Best Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility – Commended
• Best Business Award – Commended
To be acknowledged across such a wide range of categories, from innovation and sustainability to customer service, training and community impact, is a powerful endorsement of our culture and values.
We are pleased to announce that at the Richmond Upon Thames Business Awards held on Friday, 5th December, we were winners of the Environmental Sustainability award. Reflecting the efforts made by the company in their efforts to minimise our environmental impact and to promote sustainable practices across all aspects of our operations.
We also received the following awards:
• Best Professional Practice Award – Highly Commended
• Best Customer Service Award – Highly Commended
• Best Training and Development – Highly Commended
• Best Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility – Commended
• Best Business Award – Commended
To be acknowledged across such a wide range of categories, from innovation and sustainability to customer service, training and community impact, is a powerful endorsement of our culture and values.
The Environmental Sustainability Award follows our recent successful EcoVadis assessment in October, which resulted in a Bronze Rating.