Novel (d)PCR assays for influenza A(H5Nx) viruses clade 2.3.4.4b surveillance.

BACKGROUNDSince March 2024, cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) caused by A(H5N1) virus of clade 2.3.4.

Food Allergen Quantitative Risk Assessment at a Crossroads: A Critical Evaluation of Laboratory Performance for Quantifying Total Egg and Milk Protein in Cookies.

The accurate quantification of food allergens is crucial for ensuring consumer safety and compliance with regulatory requirements. A proficiency test (PT) was organised to evaluate the performance of laboratories in quantifying total egg and total milk protein in cookies. The PT involved 20 laboratories, which reported results using mainly commercial ELISA kits and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Food allergen analysis: Considerations for establishing a reference measurement system to implement EU legislation.

Inconsistent quantification results obtained from various analytical methods for food allergen testing hamper an accurate quantitative risk assessment and its regulatory implementation. In order to overcome such problems, a concept aiming at ensuring the comparability of quantitative food allergen measurement results is presented here. It is based on an approach called reference measurement system for food allergens, which uses a commonly agreed reference, namely the 'mass fraction of total protein of the allergenic ingredient in food'.

Proficiency of European GMO control laboratories to quantify MON89788 soybean in a meat pâté matrix.

GMO control laboratories in the EU routinely monitor the presence and content of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed products collected from the EU market. As the vast majority of GMOs comprize genetically modified plants, most control samples have a plant-based origin. For the first time, a pilot proficiency test was organised requiring the analysis of GMOs in a meat matrix.

Determination of Alternaria Toxins in Tomato, Wheat, and Sunflower Seeds by SPE and LC-MS/MS-A Method Validation Through a Collaborative Trial.

Background: Alternaria toxins are ubiquitous contaminants in highly consumed food products. Therefore, they are candidates to be regulated by EU legislation. In this context, the availability of reliable analytical methods is a keystone both for protecting the health of citizens and smooth functioning of the European market.