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32 FOOD & DRINK TECHNOLOGY


Fig. 1. Bruker has developed a method for the detection and quantification of three common microcystins found in drinking water.


Food scares prompt analysis advances


Recent food scares are increasing demands on vendors for fast, efficient solutions to identify and deal with potential problems. Sean Ottewell reports.


Les crises alimentaires récentes augmentent la demande auprès des fournisseurs de solutions rapides et efficaces pour identifier et gérer les problèmes potentiels. Un article de Sean Ottewell.


Jüngste Lebensmittelskandale verlangen von Anbietern schnelle, effiziente Lösungen zur Erkennung und Behandlung potentieller Probleme. Sean Ottewell berichtet.


E


urofins, a leader in residue testing in food and agricultural products, is


collaborating with AB SCIEX, a global leader in analytical technology, and Phenomenex, a leader in separation science, to develop methods to analyse animal feed for the presence of antibiotic and fungicide residues.


Te first output of this collaboration is an application for the analysis of nine antibiotics and four insecticides in poultry feeds, covering five different antibiotic drug classes.


Te use of antibiotics as feed additives serves the primary function to protect animals from illness; however, these antibiotic residues are not always fully metabolised


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by the animal and can ultimately accumulate in the edible tissues of the animal, making their way into the food supply.


In addition, the potential impact of increasing human exposure to these antibiotics may contribute to an increase in populations of antibiotic-resistant micro-organisms (so-called ‘super bugs’), resulting in less effective treatments when human illness occurs.


Insecticides and pesticides can also sometimes be found in animal feeds – either introduced from the crop used to create the feed, or in the feeding pens where they are used to reduce insect contaminations.


Eurofins identified a need to ramp


up testing for various chemical residues in animal feed, including feather meals – feeds made with chicken feathers – after banned antibiotic residues were found in some feed products. Eurofins chose to work with AB SCIEX and Phenomenex as trusted partners for food safety testing.


“For a food testing lab, feeds are a notoriously challenging matrix to analyse,” said John Reuther, president of Eurofins CAL, Eurofins’ US Competence Caentre for Residue and Contaminant Analysis. “By taking a leadership role in the food testing community, we are delivering robust and reliable methods not only to improve the analysis of animal feed but also to provide the best solutions to help our customers in the food and feed industries effectively address the growing industry demands of improved product quality and safety. Working together with AB SCIEX and Phenomenex gives us


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