Top 10: These topics kept the food industry busy in 2021

These are our top 10:

• 1: Ethylene oxide in food: update on the current residue situation
  Ethylene oxide came into the focus of monitoring last year as an undesirable residue in food. In the meantime, other product groups besides sesame have also been affected. We are therefore continuing to expand our laboratory capacities and are continuously validating our analysis for ethylene oxide for new matrices. Read more about these here.
• 2: Analysis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and isomers
  Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are formed by plants to protect them from insect predators. In plant-based foodstuffs, they pose a health risk to consumers. That's why we offer producers of tea, herbs and the like the right analyses to check compliance with the legal limits.
• 3: Dioxins and PCBs in food and feed – a solved topic?
  10 years since the last dioxin scandal: in this chronicle we highlight what has happened since then and why the issue is still crucial for the quality monitoring of food and feed.
• 4: New method for the analysis of MCPD and glycidol esters in fats and oils
  With the Zwagerman method, we have expanded our analysis portfolio for fats and oils so that glycidol can now also be determined directly. We have summarised the further advantages of the method for you here.
• 5: New regulatory limits for ergot alkaloids and ergot sclerotia in grains
  Ergot alkaloids are produced by a fungus that infects cereals and attaches itself to the ears as so-called ergot. Since the alkaloids can cause serious health damage when consumed, the EU has published maximum levels for food that will apply from January 2022.
• 6: Optimised analytical method for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS)
  Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are environmental contaminants that can accumulate in the food chain. For a high level of consumer protection, authorities such as EFSA demand even more sensitive monitoring. We have therefore optimised our analytical method for PFAS and further lowered the limit of quantification.
• 7: Water/protein ratio in farmed shrimp
  As a high-priced food, shrimps are susceptible to food fraud. One possible form of adulteration is the unauthorised addition of water. On behalf of the German Seafood Association, our experts collected reference data and investigated which parameters are needed to detect food fraud.
• 8: Novel food: insects – food of the future?!
  Insects as novel food: Read about EFSA's risk assessment of the mealworm and what needs to be considered when marketing insects as food.
• 9: 100 % honey – Authenticity verification via LC-Orbitrap-HRMS
  Authenticity plays a special role in a natural product like honey. That's why we offer you an innovative method to reliably detect foreign sugar additives. Find out what the so-called LC-Orbitrap-HRMS technology is all about here.
• 10: Due diligence and evidence requirements in the new EU Organic Regulation
  Risk management is key: Under the new EU organic regulation, new due diligence and evidence requirements apply to all actors along the production chain. Learn more about the concept of precautionary measures in Regulation (EU) 2018/848.