FÜD
Specialised translation › Chemicals & pharmaceuticals
Chemical & pharmaceutical translations.
Chemical and pharmaceutical translation for regulated markets: safety data sheets, GHS/CLP labelling, certificates of analysis and marketing-authorisation documents — handled by professional translators for chemistry and pharmaceuticals, terminologically exact and compliant. Confidential, and in many languages.
- REACH/CLPsafety data sheets
- GHS H/P statementsregulatory wording
- Terminology baseconsistent
- 4.6 · Trustpilot
Professional translators for chemistry and pharma · safety data sheets to GHS/CLP · substance and hazard terminology precise · in the official languages of the target markets
In short
In chemistry and pharma, terminology is safety.
One mistranslated H or P statement, one inaccurate hazard label – and a formality turns into a safety risk. Chemical and pharmaceutical texts demand exact, standardised terminology. That is why, at the FÜD, they are translated by professional translators for chemistry and pharmaceuticals who know both the subject matter and the regulations.
We render safety data sheets to GHS/CLP with correct H/P statements, keep terminology stable through glossaries, and treat formulations and studies as confidential. As a neighbouring discipline of our medical translation and technical translation, this field covers life sciences and process engineering alike.
Document types
What we translate for chemistry & pharma.
Safety
- Safety data sheets (SDS)
- GHS/CLP labelling
- H & P statements
Quality & analysis
- Certificates of analysis (CoA)
- Test & manufacturing records
- SOPs
Authorisation
- Marketing-authorisation dossiers
- Summaries of product characteristics
- Study documents
Market
- Product catalogues
- Data sheets
- Websites
Decision aid
Which language rule applies to your document.
In chemistry and pharma it is not the text but the regulatory framework that governs the translation. Four common cases – and the rules we follow for each.
Then the national language of every supply state, a fixed structure of 16 sections, H and P statements word-for-word – under REACH (Art. 31, Annex II) and CLP.
Then the signal word (Danger or Warning), pictograms and H/P statements in the national language – standardised under CLP (Reg. (EC) 1272/2008).
Then to the EMA's QRD templates and Section 11 AMG – wording and structure are prescribed, not free to reword.
Then professional translation to GCP/GLP; unpublished data is treated strictly confidentially, under an NDA on request.
One H statement wrong – and the labelling no longer holds.
That is why: professional translators for chemistry/pharma, GHS/CLP terminology and confidentiality.
Regulation & confidentiality
Compliant, consistent, discreet.
Chemical and pharmaceutical texts move within a dense regulatory framework – from REACH-driven labelling through GHS/CLP to marketing-authorisation requirements. We translate safety data sheets, certificates and dossiers into the required languages of the target markets and keep specialist terminology constant through recognised references and your glossaries.
Formulations, active substances and study data we treat strictly confidentially – for the agreed purpose only, in line with the GDPR, under an NDA on request and without machine translation or AI. For medicinal products and medical devices we additionally draw on the terminology of our medical translation.
Expert perspective
Why chemistry and pharma are not a "normal" translation.
The chemical industry is one of the most research-intensive sectors – from plastics through fertilisers, crop protection and industrial adhesives to cosmetics, coatings, paints and medicinal products. Only around 15 per cent of output goes directly to consumers; the bulk moves across borders as an intermediate between businesses – every shipment with its own documentation obligation.
That is why the FÜD couples the chemistry field closely to medical translation: a substance is raw material, active ingredient and dangerous good at once. In these texts it is not the elegant sentence that matters, but the unambiguous designation – an H statement, a CAS number, an INN active-substance name. Reword any of them freely and a translation turns into a liability and authorisation risk.
Our professional translators work to the standards: safety data sheets under REACH and CLP, product information to the EMA's QRD templates, analytics to the conventions of the target market. Adjacent to this, we translate medical-device documentation, technical instructions for use and documents from agrochemistry.
Pitfalls
Eight places where free translation gets expensive.
In chemistry and pharma it is often not the translator who dictates the wording, but an EU regulation, a register or a template. These eight details decide legal certainty – and are routinely missed in non-professional translation.
| Source of error | What happens with free translation | FÜD rule |
|---|---|---|
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | Sections reordered or shortened – the SDS is no longer REACH-compliant and placing on the market becomes challengeable. | Fixed structure of 16 sections under REACH Annex II (Art. 31); the national language of every supply state. |
| H and P statements | Hazard and precautionary statements are paraphrased – and lose their legal validity. | H/P statements in the official wording from CLP (Reg. (EC) 1272/2008) – never translated freely. |
| Hazard vs. precautionary statements & signal word | "Danger" and "Warning" swapped, or H mixed with P statements – hazard communication breaks down. | Signal word, H statements (Hazard) and P statements (Precautionary) kept cleanly separate and standardised. |
| INN active-substance names | Brand name instead of the active substance, or mistranscribed – the substance is no longer uniquely identifiable. | INN per WHO unchanged; language variants (e.g. -in/-ine) set correctly. |
| CAS/EC numbers | Digits "translated along", reordered or separators changed – the substance is no longer traceable in any register. | CAS, EC (EINECS/ELINCS) and index numbers carried over character-for-character. |
| EMA QRD templates (SmPC/package leaflet) | Freely worded instead of standard sentences – submission is delayed or rejected. | Wording and structure to the EMA's QRD template; standard phrasing carried over. |
| Units, concentrations, decimal separators | German comma and English point swapped (1,5 ↔ 1.5) – a dose turns into a dosing error. | Target convention checked; mg/kg, %, ppm and dilutions kept consistent. |
| IUPAC nomenclature | Trivial name instead of the systematic name, locants or stereodescriptors slipped – a different substance. | Systematic IUPAC names; locants and (R/S, E/Z) descriptors preserved. |
Use cases
Three typical jobs – and what the FÜD delivers.
Safety data sheet for EU import
An importer places a mixture on the market in several EU states and needs the SDS in every official language of the supply states.
We translate the 16 sections to REACH true to structure, set H/P statements in the CLP wording and keep CAS/EC numbers character-for-character.
Result: a compliant SDS per target market – terminology identical across every language version.
Package leaflet & SmPC
For a medicinal-product authorisation, the package leaflet and summary of product characteristics (SmPC) must be submitted in further EU languages.
We work to the EMA's QRD template, carry over standard phrasing and INN active-substance names, and align the labelling.
Result: submission-ready product information, consistent with the label and earlier versions.
Certificate of analysis (CoA)
A batch goes to export or audit – the certificate of analysis / CoA with specifications and methods has to go with it.
We translate test parameters, methods (e.g. HPLC) and limit values faithfully and leave figures, units and batch numbers unchanged.
Result: a verifiable certificate – measured values and units stay reliable.
Quote & price
Calculated for you, promised as binding.
The price depends on volume, language direction, terminology requirements and deadline. After a review we name a binding fixed price – with standing terms for ongoing needs.
| Professional translation | ✓included |
| Terminology & TM | ✓included |
| Four-eyes review | ✓included |
| Binding fixed price | ✓included |
As a guide, translations start from € 0.89 per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces); we name the exact amount after a brief review. How the price is made up →
FAQ
Translating chemistry & pharma – frequently asked questions.
Do you translate safety data sheets to GHS/CLP?
Who translates chemical and pharmaceutical texts?
Do formulations and studies stay confidential?
Do you keep terminology consistent?
Do you also translate marketing-authorisation documents?
Do you translate H and P statements freely or in the official wording?
Do CAS numbers, EC numbers and INN active-substance names stay unchanged?
What does a chemical/pharmaceutical translation cost?
Next
Where to go next: services, fields, documents and languages.
REACH & EMA language obligations
The safety data sheet and medicinal-product information follow fixed language rules.
Under REACH (Article 31, Annex II) the safety data sheet must be provided in an official language of every Member State in which the substance or mixture is placed on the market. The GHS/CLP hazard and precautionary statements (H and P statements) must be used in their officially prescribed wording – not translated freely.
For centrally authorised medicinal products, the EMA's QRD templates prescribe the SmPC, package leaflet and labelling in all EU languages. We work from these reference specifications and align the terminology with adjacent medical-device documentation, instructions for use and our medical professional translation.