More robust protection for public on contaminated food

Published: 30-Jul-2008

Government Chemist, a body appointed to advise government and industry on the dependencies between analytical chemistry, policy, standards and regulation, estimates that 25% of the world’s food crops are contaminated by moulds that can produce toxic or cancer-causing substances.


Toxins produced by the mould Aspergillus, known as aflatoxins, which are of particular concern. The UK’s, Port Health Authorities have front-line responsibility for official controls on the safety of food products imported into the UK. However, the diversity of imported products continually highlights new areas of uncertainty relating to the analytical methods employed, particularly because measurements of aflatoxins, which are hazardous even at trace concentrations, might be masked or skewed by the bulk ingredients.

In 2007, the 21 samples receiving top-level scrutiny included 13 submitted for the determination of aflatoxins: varieties of nuts, chillies, figs, and compound products, namely pistachio nougat and peanut bites. Innovative approaches were needed to apply statutory concentration limits for aflatoxins in nuts to the more complex products: for example, extraction techniques were modified to cope with the high sugar content. In all cases completed in 2007, the Government Chemist confirmed the results of the official control laboratory, and the food consignment was re-exported.

LGC, as the designated national measurement institute for chemical and bioanalysis, coordinates the Government Chemist’s innovation base and science and technology programme at Teddington, Middlesex, UK.

The Government Chemist Review 2007 summarises LGC’s work for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

This year’s review includes the validation of a detection method for walnut allergens in a new laboratory suite established at LGC to help manage the growing impact of food allergies on public health.

The report also calls for the development of a web-enabled Measurement and Standards for Emerging Technologies (MSET) forum to be developed hand-in-hand with the Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network.

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