New Solutions Meet Needs Arising from Food Scare in Germany

Phenomenex, Inc announces the publication of a new method for the analysis of dioxins in animal feed and tissue using high-resolution gas chromatography with mass spec detection (HRGCMS). Demand for these analyses has grown significantly in recent weeks, since the discovery of dangerous levels of the cancer-causing chemicals in animal feed produced in Germany.

The new method, developed in collaboration with Vista Analytical, also analyses dioxin-like compounds dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are often monitored in conjunction with dioxins to give an overall toxic equivalent (TEQ) for a sample. Dioxins enter the environment and subsequently the food chain through combustion of organic materials in waste incineration. Recently 2,256 tons of fat, incorporated into feed products in Germany were found to be highly contaminated, posing the threat of chain-reaction through the food supply. Several countries have now banned imports of animal products from Germany as a precautionary measure.

“While dioxin contamination is generally on the decline due to aggressive regulatory action, we can still see accidents, such as the one in Germany,” explained Sky Countryman, Manager of Applications and Applied Technology for Phenomenex. “Robust analytical testing procedures are still in demand for the determination of potential dioxin threats in both feed and animal fat.” A technical note on the new Phenomenex HRGC/MS method has just been published. The method was used to analyse non-organic chicken feed as well as fish from the Mississippi River and Great Lakes and shrimp from a variety of international sources.

Vista Analytical Laboratory is the premier provider of high-resolution mass spectrometry analytical services. With experience, expertise and responsiveness unmatched in the environmental industry, Vista has built an international reputation for performing difficult trace level analyses reliably on a variety of matrices while meeting or exceeding the most rigorous regulatory requirements.