Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that scientists at its global Food Safety Response Center, located in Dreieich, Germany, have developed and internally validated a new method for detecting residue levels of the fungicide carbendazim in oranges and orange juice.
The new carbendazim method was developed in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announcement in January that it would test shipments of imported orange juice for the fungicide. Thermo Fisher’s method can reliably detect carbendazim in orange juice to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Speaking at the Food Safety Response Center in Dreieich, Alan Malus, Thermo Fisher Executive Vice President and President of the Analytical Technologies Group said, “Our team of scientists worked around the clock to develop a method to rapidly and reliably test orange juice for traces of carbendazim, and we are pleased to provide the industry with an improved method that automates the sample preparation and improves lab productivity.”
The new method for detecting carbendazim uses Thermo Scientific Turboflow technology to automate sample preparation, enabling laboratories to analyze more samples per day. Prior methods rely on manual sample preparation, which is time-consuming and not as repeatable as the new, automated method.
Carbendazim is a chemical fungicide that is used to treat crops worldwide, including in Canada, Japan, Europe and Brazil, to control the growth of fungus and mold. It is not registered for use on U.S. citrus crops. The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 requires that importers verify the safety of food from their suppliers and gives the FDA authority to block the importation of foods of questionable safety from facilities or countries.
Laboratories interested in obtaining a copy of the new, validated method can download a copy at www.thermoscientific.com/fsnews.
Comments