scholarly journals Monitoring of dioxins and related toxic compounds in food of animal origin in Greece

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. VASSILIADOU (Ε. ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑΔΟΥ) ◽  
D. COSTOPOULOU (Δ. ΚΩΣΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ) ◽  
L. LEONTIADIS (Λ. ΛΕΟΝΤΙΑΔΗΣ)
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Toxic Compounds ◽  
Eu Regulation ◽  
Food Of Animal Origin ◽  
Analysis Laboratory ◽  
Dioxin Contamination ◽  
The Eu

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and "dioxin-like" polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are environmental pollutants belonging to the persistent organic pollutants (POPs). PCDDs and PCDFs have never been produced intentionally, but they are formed by incomplete combustion of organic material in the presence of chlorine, during industrial processes or intentional and unintentional burning of solid waste. PCBs have been produced industrially as mixtures and have been used in various applications, though their production has been banned since the 1970's. Their toxicity is mediated through the interaction with the aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor, causing severe health effects to humans after chronic exposure, which include developmental and immunological effects, carcinogenicity and chloracne. More than 90% of the daily human intake is due to food ingestion and especially, to the consumption of fat-containing animal food products, due to the lipophilic nature of these compounds. In order to control food contamination by these compounds, the European Union has set maximum limits for PCDD/Fs and PCBs in food products (EU Regulation 1881/2006/EC). The Mass Spectrometry and Dioxin Analysis Laboratory of "NCSR" Demokritos has been operating since 2002 and it performs analysis of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in food, feed, biological and environmental samples, applying international protocols of analysis (EPA 1613, EPA 1668), based on appropriate sample clean-up and determination by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), using the isotope dilution method, as specified by the EU Regulation 1883/2006/EC. The Laboratory has been accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025 by ESYD and it is the National Reference Laboratory of the European Commission for Greece and Cyprus. Here we present here a comprehensive report of the activities of the Mass Spectrometry and Dioxin Analysis Laboratory during its operation, concerning the monitoring of dioxins and similar toxic compounds in food of animal origin in Greece. Through collaboration with the official bureaus of food, environment and health control organizations of Greece, the Laboratory has conducted analysis in a large number of food and animal feed products sampled randomly in the Greek market. The results are well below the EU maximum levels and, in general, lower than those monitored in other European and Mediterranean countries. This has been attributed to the fact that Greece is not highly industrialized and has never produced PCBs and does not perform systematic waste incineration. On the other hand, samples have been collected and analysed from areas suspected for dioxin contamination, such as areas affected by accidental fires, landfills or exposed to industrial pollution. In some of these cases, unusually high levels of dioxin contamination in food samples of animal origin have been observed, in some cases above EU limits, and appropriate measures have been taken by Greek authorities to prevent their consumption and to restore normal dioxin levels.

scholarly journals Proficiency testing as a tool to assess quality of data: the experience of the EU Reference Laboratory for chemical elements in food of animal origin

2020 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-390
Author(s):  
Angela Sorbo ◽  
Maria Ciprotti ◽  
Andrea Colabucci ◽  
Marilena D’Amato ◽  
Marco Di Gregorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Proficiency Testing ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Validity Of Results ◽  
Food Of Animal Origin ◽  
The Eu

AbstractQuality and reliability of analytical results are, in general, key issues for all laboratories but become a top priority for laboratories accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025:2005. In this international standard the proficiency testing (PT) is regarded as a means to assure the validity of results. Nowadays, the proved competence of laboratories is an essential requirement especially for that structures that are involved in the official controls aimed at ensuring the safety of EU food products and the public health. To guarantee the EU consumers, the Council and the Commission have designated 28 European Union Reference Laboratories (EURLs) for food and feed, whose main role is to contribute to the standardization of analytical methods and to the harmonization of performance among the EU National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) to reach a comparable level of quality in the analytical data among all Member States. With this aim, the organization of PTs is a task that each EURL has to accomplish. Over the last 15 years, the EURL for chemical elements in food of animal origin (EURL-CEFAO) have organized 32 PTs on determination of total As, Cd, Pb and total Hg in meat, milk, fish and offal for the benefit of its network of NRLs. Some specific aspects of this activity will be discussed (e.g. preparation and characterization of PT materials, statistical evaluation of data, follow-up actions). Finally, based on the EURL-CEFAO experience, it will be demonstrated that the participation into PTs on a regular basis can result in an improvement of the laboratory’s performance as well as in the harmonization of the results submitted by participants.

scholarly journals Assessment of a New GC-MS/MS System for the Confirmatory Measurement of PCDD/Fs and (N)DL-PCBs in Food under EU Regulation

Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 302
Author(s):  
Flavio Antonio Franchina ◽  
Eliane Lazzari ◽  
George Scholl ◽  
Jean-François Focant
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Multiple Reaction Monitoring ◽  
Triple Quadrupole ◽  
Eu Regulation ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
Food And Feed ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Feed Samples ◽  
The Eu

Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychloro-dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like (DL), and non dioxin-like (NDL) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are currently regulated in food and feed within the European territory (EU 2017/644-771). The confirmatory methods of analysis for checking compliance with maximum levels (MLs) for these involve either the historically-established GC-magnetic sector high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and, more recently, GC-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry operating in tandem mode (GC-QQQMS/MS). In this study, the performance of a novel triple quadrupole GC-QQQMS/MS system equipped with a programable temperature vaporization (PTV) injector was evaluated for the analysis of regulated PCDD/Fs and PCBs in food and feed. The MS analyzer was equipped with a titanium ionization chamber and a new short collision cell capable to accumulate and eject ions by means of very narrow pulses that allow to minimize the noise and to adapt accumulation times for sensitive multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The analytical capability of the system was confronted by the strict requirements (selectivity, reproducibility, linearity, quant/qual MRM transitions, accuracy, robustness) set by the EU Regulation for a range of standards, quality control (QC) and food/feed samples. In this respect, the approach showed high precision (1.9–15% relative standard deviation (RSD) at low pg/µL) and accuracy (>80%, except for one hexa-CDD). The quantitative results were also compared to the most used GC-HRMS. In this case, comparable results in terms of single congener concentration basis and total toxic equivalent (TEQ) basis for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were obtained for the QC samples analyzed.

scholarly journals Identification, confirmation and quantification of sulfonamides in kidney and meat of food-producing animals by HPLC-PDA

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
A. Ε. TIRPENOU ◽  
A. D. TSIGOURI (Α. Δ. ΤΣΙΓΟΥΡΗ) ◽  
E. H. GOUTA (E.H. ΓΟΥΤΑ)
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phase ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Array Detector ◽  
Reference Laboratory ◽  
Sulfa Drug ◽  
Food Of Animal Origin ◽  
Drug Determination ◽  
Meat Samples

Residue monitoring in animal husbandry and in food of animal origin is based on the implementation of a Surveillance Scheme, according to the legislation (Directive 86/469/EEC1, N. D. 497/89% Regulation (EEC) 2377/903, Directive 96/23/EU4). Among our obligations as a European Union National Reference Laboratory (EU-NRL), we have to develope screening and confirmatory methods. Towards the development and validation of these confirmatory techniques, als for the group of antimicrobials, a method has been developed for sulfa drug determination. These substances are used extensively in livestock for therapeutic as well as for growth promotin purposes. Diserens et al., 19915 method with our modifications, is used in our laboratory to confirm the Four Plate Test6 suspect kidney and meat samples sent from the Regional Field Laboratories (RFLs) of the Ministry of Agriculture. The method's steps are: extraction, concentration and quantitative elution of sulfa drugs using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and their identification, confirmation and quantitation by HPLC/UV with a Photo Diode Array detector. The column used was Hypersil ODS, 5 μιη (250 x 4.6 mm) and the mobile phase was 0.01 M ammonium acetate buffer pH 4.6/MeOH at a gradient mode. The wavelength was monitored at 266 nm, the flow rate of the mobile phase was l.lmL.min ' and the injection volume was 20 μL. 12 sulfonamides can be simultaneously detected in one run at concentrations as low as 20 μg/kg. The recovery ranges from 60 to 88% for spiked samples at the Maximum Residue Limit of 100 μg/kg.

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