Testing labs in Plivot

SOCOFRET is a French testing, inspection, and certification company founded in 1970 and headquartered in Plivot (Marne), in the heart of France's Champagne agricultural region. With more than 50 years of expertise, SOCOFRET holds the distinction of being the first cereal control company in France to receive full COFRAC (Comité Français d'Accréditation) accreditation across all three of its core activities — testing, inspection, and certification. This unique triple-accredited status makes SOCOFRET an exceptionally rigorous and trusted partner for the grain trade, agri-food industry, and viticultural sector. Since its founding, SOCOFRET has built deep expertise in agricultural commodity inspection and control, initially focused on qualifying and quantifying grain shipments for the export and domestic trade. The company's inspection and control services (Contrôle & Inspection) are designed for export companies, trading firms, agricultural cooperatives, and grain storage operators who require fast and accurate quality data on commercial lots. SOCOFRET carries out sampling, as well as qualitative and quantitative assessments of commercial batches, delivering results in very short turnaround times to meet the real-time demands of the grain trade. This inspection capability is underpinned by COFRAC Inspection Accreditation N°3-0531, obtained in 2008, cementing SOCOFRET's position as the first accredited cereal inspection body in France. In 1983, SOCOFRET established a dedicated cereal and cereal-product testing laboratory (Laboratoire Essais Céréales), broadening its service portfolio well beyond field-level inspection. The laboratory performs three principal categories of analysis on commercial grain lots: physicochemical analyses, rheological analyses, and contaminant analyses. Physicochemical testing covers protein content determination, moisture measurement, test weight (poids spécifique), and Hagberg falling number — the internationally recognized indicator of alpha-amylase enzyme activity and sprout damage in wheat. Rheological analyses evaluate the bread-making and processing quality of wheat flours and doughs, providing millers and traders with actionable data on how a batch will perform in downstream food production. Contaminant analyses focus on mycotoxins, conducted by reference chromatographic methods including HPLC with fluorescence detection (HPLC/Fluo) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS), capable of quantifying regulated fusarium toxins, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and other key mycotoxin analytes in grain matrices. This testing activity holds COFRAC Testing Accreditation N°1-1477, obtained in 2004. The laboratory works with a wide range of cereal commodities, including soft wheat (blé tendre), durum wheat (blé dur), barley (orge), malt, bran (son), and sorghum (sorgho), as well as processed cereal products derived from these raw materials. Clients include trading companies, flour mills, malting facilities, agricultural cooperatives, and individual farming operations wishing to characterize the quality of their lots before commercial sale. By mastering sampling methodology and offering both qualitative and quantitative controls, SOCOFRET gives buyers and sellers the independent, accredited quality data necessary to negotiate and settle grain contracts with confidence. From 2016, SOCOFRET has operated as a fully accredited certification body under COFRAC Certification Accreditation N°5-0573. Certification services cover agricultural products, services, and processes and include Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE — High Environmental Value) certification for wine growers and other agricultural producers, CSA-GTP certification, and Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne (Viticulture Durable en Champagne). These programmes allow producers to formally demonstrate environmental stewardship, meeting buyer requirements for certified-sustainable supply chains and accessing premium market channels. SOCOFRET also commenced audit services in 2003, providing systematic assessments of production and storage facilities against recognized standards, helping clients identify quality-management gaps and prepare for formal certification. SEOFRET's accreditations are issued by COFRAC, the French national accreditation body and a signatory to the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) multilateral recognition arrangement. As a result, SOCOFRET's accredited test reports and inspection certificates are recognized across the European Union and carry weight in international commodity trade. The full scope documents for each accreditation — Testing N°1-1477, Inspection N°3-0531, and Certification N°5-0573 — are publicly available on www.cofrac.fr, allowing clients and trading counterparties to verify the precise commodity types, analytes, and methods covered by each accreditation. With over half a century of operational history, a team of qualified technical personnel, demonstrated speed of turnaround, true geographic proximity to France's major cereal-growing and wine-producing regions, and the rare achievement of holding simultaneous COFRAC accreditation in testing, inspection, and certification, SOCOFRET represents an unusually complete and credible third-party quality partner. Its independence as a neutral control body provides the impartial assurance that export counterparts, domestic buyers, regulatory bodies, and sustainability auditors require when assessing the quality, safety, and conformity of agricultural and food commodities.