Affidia interviewed two of the principle players in testing inspection and certification of grain shipments to learn how real investigations are conducted and to understand the unmet challenges in this field.     Globalization has increased the international circulation of commodities. For some of these commodities, globalization has mean [...]

A survey to investigate topics including the technologies used, the number of analyses conducted, and the test kits’ certifications.     Rapid testing for grain Aflatoxin and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination of grain depends on several factors, primary among them weather conditions in the pre-harvest period. In Europe, aflatoxin i [...]

Dietary supplements: how natural contaminants may turn botanical remedies into a Pandora’s box.       Food supplements: a growing market trend  According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA 2009), food supplements are “concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological e [...]

The legalization of cannabis has opened the door both to new markets and new concerns about quality and safety. While analytical methods to detect fungal infection and mycotoxin occurrence in cannabis have been developed, questions still remain.       Cannabis products for medicinal and recreational use   Cannabis as an agricult [...]

In the last 20 years, aflatoxin M1 has been found in milk in southern Europe at unprecedented levels on several occasions. Is it the result of climate change? What do experts think about the risk for consumers, both now and in the future? Is the best approach to move from an M1 limit in milk to a “total aflatoxin metabolites” limit in m [...]

This article provides the non-specialized reader with an overview of the major techniques employed by food testing laboratories for the analysis of mycotoxins, including a brief description of the complex analytical tools required.         Introduction   Most consumers think the word natural is synonymous with safe, healthy [...]

How tech developments have made possible the detection of large numbers of targets in a single run. What we are still missing for quantitative detection by multi-class methods. The introduction of ion mobility in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The need for shared databases.   The (r)evolution of analytical methods over the last two [...]

Novel and fully integrated management strategies to reduce and control mycotoxins - EU project under grant agreement n°678012.      At the international trade level, mycotoxin presence in foodstuffs has serious economic and sustainability consequences with significant implications for food and feed safety and food security. The E [...]

When I was asked to write this piece for Affidia Journal’s Special Issue dedicated to the 2022 World Mycotoxin Forum, the first thing that came to my mind was the association between Pandemic - Mycotoxin - Speed. It may seem strange to you, but you will soon see how the three are closely interconnected. The evolution of analytical methods for [...]

This issue of Affidia Journal combines 2021’s third and fourth issue because we began producing virtual events this year. We have adopted this hybrid model because of the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received from the community of food safety and food analytics professionals. The audience we have had has been far beyond our expect [...]

The legalization of cannabis has opened the door both to new markets and new concerns about quality and safety. While analytical methods to detect fungal infection and mycotoxin occurrence in cannabis have been developed, questions still remain.       Cannabis products for medicinal and recreational use   Cannabis as an agricult [...]

Microplastics are found not only in the oceans, but also in our food. The scientific community is turning its focus to this potential health threat.   Introduction   Concerns about the potential impact of microplastics (MPs) on the natural environment have gathered momentum during recent decades. The number of scientific investigations ha [...]

How the EU regulatory context for food contact materials and articles (FCMs) may change on the way to a toxin-free environment.     The European Green Deal, Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, and Farm to Fork Strategy set the stage The European Union’s October 2020 Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) paves the path towar [...]

A key initiative to disseminate information and a platform to test food, train food business operators, and spread awareness to all stakeholders in the food supply chain.   Introduction   The World Food Safety Day theme of “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow” highlights the importance of producing and consuming safe food f [...]

Increasing Russian grain production could push the country to look more closely at mycotoxins to take advantage of new export opportunities.     Russia is set to ramp up agricultural production and exports in the next few years, but mycotoxin contamination remains an open challenge hindering the export of more products to foreign mar [...]