Centre Gears up for Food Safety Crisis

Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened a global food testing laboratory devoted to helping contain costly and life-threatening chemical contamination crises. Located in Dreieich, Germany, the Food Safety Response Centre is staffed by world-class chemists who will quickly mobilise to aid governments and businesses in the event of facing unknown chemical contaminant threats. One recent threat, the melamine crisis in China, claimed the lives of at least six children, sickened nearly 300,000 and cost companies worldwide billions before it was contained.

"Identification and containment of food toxicity require a rapid response, otherwise the threat to human health and global commerce is magnified with each passing day," said Marc N. Casper, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Chemical contamination in food is a growing and costly threat, including risks from environmental contamination and naturally occurring toxins.”

According to the World Health Organization, chemical contamination in food is a worldwide public health concern and is a leading cause of trade problems internationally.

Common sources of chemical contamination include pesticides, veterinary drugs, banned food dyes, industrial chemicals (such as, acrylamide and benzene), heavy metals (such as, arsenic, cadmium and lead), organic pollutants (such as, dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and naturally occurring toxins such as mycotoxins, which can affect peanuts, corn, pistachios and walnuts.