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Integrated Radiometric and Complementary Techniques for Mixed Contaminants and Residues in Foods
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
D52041CRP
2169Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
30 August 2023Participating Countries
Description
Risk management of contaminants in food and associated matrices such as water and feed is currently based on health risk assessments considering data from studies on individual hazards. However, humans are simultaneously exposed to a large number of contaminants/residues through consumption of food and drinking water (Alexander, et al., 2008) and therefore risk assessment should depend on data on mixed contaminants/residues. However, systematic programmes for monitoring a mixture of contaminants/ residues are still lacking in MSs and their laboratories lack analytical techniques to test such “cocktails” that are individually a food safety and therefore public health, and trade concern. ?Use of agricultural inputs such as veterinary drugs and pesticides in food production is inevitable to many MSs due to rampant animal and plants diseases and pests that should be controlled to ensure food security. Residues of these inputs co-occur with incidental contaminants such as mycotoxins, persistent organic pollutants and harmful adulterants such as but not limited to melamine in milk powder and sudan-1 in chili-powder raising consumer concerns. ?Open air agricultural production predisposes food commodities to different and possibly unsafe levels of contaminants/ residues and related toxicants. Crops and livestock alike are exposed to industrial and environmental effluents and air pollutants in addition to agrochemicals and naturally occurring toxins such as mycotoxins among others. Levels of air pollutants are increasing especially in urban and peri-urban farming systems worldwide and thus air pollutants are a major source of particulate contaminants that can accumulate to toxic levels in edible portions of plants/crops (Poole et al., 2003). ?This implies that products from open environment production may contain a mixture of contaminants/ residues. Monitoring of mixed contaminants/residues is not practiced due to lack of necessary multi-class analytical methods. These hazards are numerous and their physico-chemical properties diverse. Food matrices also vary and are complex. Thus robust, sensitive/selective, precise and cost-effective multi-analyte/class techniques are necessary if the practice of controlling mixed contaminants/residues is to take effect among many FAO/IAEA MSs. Though challenging to laboratories, such techniques, if well researched, as proposed in this CRP with the leveraging the advantages of nuclear, isotopic and complementary techniques, should present numerous benefits such as: (1) ‘information-rich’ measurements covering different classes of residues, contaminants and possibly adulterants; (2) shorter sample preparation/analysis time; (3) high sample throughput; (4) less laboratory consumables.?Therefore, the sooner research is done to address these challenges and exploit the benefits, the better it will be for public health and trade in MSs.?Through the above mentioned research, this CRP aims at strengthening MS analytical laboratories and national chemical/natural residue monitoring programs thus contributing to the improvement of food safety, public health and where possible international trade. New multi-class analytical methods will be developed (including improved environmentally friendly sample preparation techniques) validated and transferred amongst MS laboratories. The CRP will also contribute to the knowledge-base on risk assessment regarding mixed contaminants as well as work on AMR, through development of some multi-antimicrobial analytical methods that will permit surveillance to ensure their prudent use by MSs?
Objectives
To enhance Member State food and environmental safety control systems and risk assessment programmes through improvement of laboratory capabilities needed to gather reliable data on mixed contaminants/residues in foods as well as antimicrobial use pertaining to the development of antimicrobial resistance
Specific objectives
To investigate the effective application of newly researched methods in the routine surveillance of mixed contaminants/residues in foods and where possible establishment of base/reference “fingerprints” of food matrices that may contain a mixture/cocktail of contaminants and/or residues
To research the development, optimization/adaptation, and validation of analytical methods for mixed contaminants/residues in foods and associated matrices
To research the development of innovative generic sample preparation techniques for mixed contaminants/residues in foods and associated matrices
To investigate the development, optimization/adaptation, validation and application of sensitive and selective multi-antimicrobial analytical methods useful for monitoring residues of substances associated with development of antimicrobial resistance
To investigate the effective application of newly researched methods in the routine surveillance of mixed contaminants/residues in foods and where possible establishment of base/reference “fingerprints” of food matrices that may contain a mixture/cocktail of contaminants and/or residues
To research the development, optimization/adaptation, and validation of analytical methods for mixed contaminants/residues in foods and associated matrices
To research the development of innovative generic sample preparation techniques for mixed contaminants/residues in foods and associated matrices
To investigate the development, optimization/adaptation, validation and application of sensitive and selective multi-antimicrobial analytical methods useful for monitoring residues of substances associated with development of antimicrobial resistance
Impact
Colombia: Four analytical methods were developed and validated. These are suitable for the determination of different classes of chemical hazards such as pesticides, veterinary drugs, mycotoxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, polyaromatic hydrocarbons in different food matrices. The scope of analysis increased from 200 compounds to 460 compounds from different groups which will result in better service-delivery to end users and increasing confidence in the institution’s analytical capabilities. Atrazine-d5, Fenthion D6, 13C g-HCH, Sufapiridina- (Phenyl-13C6), Sulfaquinoxaline (Phenyl-13C6) and flubendazole-d3 were used. Two PhD and six MScs benefited from the CRP. The CSI has initiated work on potential application of artificial intelligence in processing large analytical data.
North Macedonia: Four analytical methods were established enabling the CSI increase food safety testing capabilities. An isotopic confirmatory method for 49 veterinary drugs, organophosphate pesticides and mycotoxins was used to analyze imported and local samples of bovine meat. Another isotopic confirmatory method was established for 69 multiclass antimicrobials, anabolic hormones, lactones, ?-agonists, mycotoxins and organochlorine pesticides in bovine milk. Commercial milk samples were analysed with this method. A third isotopic confirmatory method was established for 72 multiclass antimicrobials, thyreostats, anabolic hormones, lactones, ?-agonists, mycotoxins and organochlorine pesticides in bovine urine. This work has benefited national residue testing for local needs, cutting back on outsourcing of tests; and in serving two neighboring countries, generating revenue. A stable-isotope-supported analytical method was established for residues of five antimicrobials in milk and waste after single dose administration to cows. A correlation was established between the presence of these antimicrobial residues in food and animal waste samples, and of antimicrobial resistance in intestinal microbiota, especially E. coli. More knowledge was gained on AMR testing such as the profiling of E. Coli resistance patterns in dairy cows. The project benefited 1 PhD and 1 MSc students.
Pakistan: Innovative cost-effective radioreceptor assay (RRA) technique using 14C- and 3H-labelled radiotracers for analysis of drug residues and mycotoxins was developed using inhouse receptors. RRA depends on commercial kits, whose procurement, shipping and delivery to end users is a challenge. Member States can produce receptors in-house cutting down the cost of kits. The receptors were packaged into commercial-like tablets and there are plans to scale up and share with other countries. Two MPhil students benefited from the CRP.
Ecuador : The CSI institute is responsible for regulating animal (including products) and plant health but it never had analytical methods to confirm chemical hazards in food before the CRP, let alone methods that can be used for mixed hazards but this has now changed. A method was established for testing residues of both veterinary drugs and pesticides in beef, pork and poultry meat under the country’s national monitoring programmes. Stable isotopes including atrazine-d5; enrofloxacin-d5; sulfamerazine-d4, clenbuterol-d9 and chloramphenical-d5 were used.
Peru: Two isotopic confirmatory analytical methods were developed and validated for testing multiple pesticide residues and mycotoxins in paprika and quinoa to support routine food safety control for agroexport or local consumption. Tebuconazole-d6 and dimethoate-d6; 13C-aflatoxin B1, 13C-deoxynivalenol, 13C-Fumonisin B1 and 13C-zearalenone were used. Peru’s agroexportation generates national revenue and creates jobs. In 2022 the exports accounted for 9807 US million dollar, with 102 and 94 US million attributed to paprika and quinoa, respectively. However, this is often affected by rejections at export destinations due to chemical contamination. In 2022, 37 notifications related to mycotoxins and/or pesticides in paprika were issued by EU. Similar concerns were reported about pesticides in quinoa. The CRP findings can help in redressing these challenges. One PhD student benefited from the CRP.
Chile: The stable-isotope dilution and related methodologies were developed and used for the determination of mycotoxins as well as antimicrobial and pesticide residues in broiler chicken droppings and litter. This is a non-invasive sampling method for collecting information on antimicrobial resistance. Residues and genes associated with antimicrobials tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones were detected suggesting release of both into the environment. Isotopic standards (6) used included: tetracycline-d6, enrofloxacin-d5 HCl, 13C6sulfamethazine-phenyl hemihydrate, chloramphenicol-d5, erythromycin-N-methyl-13C, d3 and hexaflumuron-d3. The CSI used the methods to analyze samples from the poultry industry. Samples from untreated birds contained enrofloxacin. The CSI provided guidance on avoiding or treating litter such from such birds. The institution is now part of the World Organization of Animal Health's collaborating centre for antimicrobial stewardship in aquaculture.
Botswana: Two methods validated will be used to enhance the implementation of the national residue monitoring programme and reduce analytical/subcontracting costs and turnaround time. Two PhD and 1 MSc students benefited from the project while the CSI also assisted two other PhD students from local universities. Stable isotope labelled compounds (16) used included tetracycline-d6, sufamethazine-d4, sulfapyridine-d4, lincomycin-d3, spiramycin-d3, enrofloxacin-d5, difloxacin-d5, xylazine-d6, mebendazole-d3, albendazole-d3, triclabendazole-d3, ceftiofur-d3, flunixin-d3, carbaryl-d7, 13C20-ochratoxin A, and 13C18-zearalenone.
China: Stable-isotope (e.g. enrofloxacin-d5, amantadine-d15, chloramphenicol-d5, florfenicol amine-d3, dexamethasone-d4 and 13C6-sulfaphenazole)-analytical methods were developed, validated and used for simultaneous determination of over 244 chemical contaminants/residues including veterinary drugs, mycotoxins and pesticides in eggs, chicken and milk. There are plans to transfer methods to other provinces for application. A database for 245 drugs and 323 pesticides established will facilitate synthesis of laboratory findings. One PhD and two MSc students were trained.
Papua New Guinea: The project enhanced capabilities of the National Agricultural Research Institute to analyze mixtures of chemical hazards in food. A multiresidue isotope-dilution LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous analysis of aflatoxin M1, ochratoxin A, deltamethrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, amitraz, amoxicillin, doramectin, eprinomectin and abamectin in milk was developed. Radioreceptor assay screening of residues/contaminants in milk was enhanced. Offshoot work included analysis of cadmium, lead, copper and zinc in rice by ICP-MS.
Uganda: Two isotope-based mass spectrometric methods were developed and validated for over 100 pesticide residues and mycotoxins in cereals (maize/maize products, rice, wheat/wheat products); and pesticide and mycotoxins in fruits and vegetables. The techniques will support routine testing by Uganda National Bureau of Standards. Twelve stable isotope-labelled compounds: 13C17-AFB1, 13C34-FB1, 13C15-deoxynivalenol, 13C20-OTA, atrazin-d5, dichlorvos-d6, diuron-d6, chlorpyrifos-d10, imidacloprid-d4, 13C6-carbaryl, deltamethrin (phenoxy)-d5, tebuconazole-d9, were used.
Benin: Isotopic-dilution LC-MS/MS method was developed for testing 17 chemicals including acrylamide, poly aromatic hydrocarbons and aflatoxins in roasted coffee, dry/smoked fish and infant formula. The method was successfully used in proficiency testing and will in future be useful for total diet studies to facilitate exposure assessment and risk management of chemical hazards.
Relevance
Safety of food remains a major concern to Members States and laboratories must play a central role. These laboratories need support with research and transfer of analytical methods and innovative solutions to challenges in testing.Nuclear/isotopic techniques as well as complementary techniques offer solutions. The CRP findings will help Member States improve performance of their laboratories and facilitate routine surveillance programmes to safeguard consumers and enhance trade. Normally laboratories use individual analytical methods to test different groups of chemical hazards such as mycotoxins, pesticides and veterinary drug residues. With the outputs of this CRP, now laboratories can use a single method to test groups of these hazards. This helps laboratories reduce the cost and time of analysis as well as resources in developing/validation of single-group methods. This also contributes to quick turnaround of test results.
Miniaturized sample preparation methods whose performance was enhanced using stable isotopes and involving low quantities of chemicals have a significant benefit to the laboratories. These will spend less resources on chemicals and discharge minimal amounts into the environment. Some of the inputs for such 'green' chemistry techniques are cheap and easily accessible.
The technology and approach used to produce receptors (in-house) to support radioreceptor biding assay and tested, are available for transfer to Member States. Their adoption of the protocol can enable laboratories reduce dependence on commercial receptors. This will also reduce analytical costs and time spent sourcing and procuring the receptors; promote innovation in research and testing laboratories to facilitate routine cost-effective testing and monitoring of a range of chemical hazards in food.
Some of the information and findings generated in the CRP are relevant to global efforts on combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR).