Current Status of Allergen Research and Legislation in Europe

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

Effects of Chemical, Physical and Technological Processes on the Nature of Food Allergens.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Techniques for Foor Allergen Detection.

Abstract not availableJRC.D-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (Geel

What is the Best Way to Ensure that Valid Analytical Methods Are Used for Food Control?

Monitoring and Quality Assurance in the Food Supply Chain is a Network of Excellence funded by the European Union. This Network of Excellence aims to make food safer by harmonizing the quality of methods used for food control. Part of this process involves the development and validation of new methods, including rapid methods and emerging technologies; the production of practical harmonized guidance on method validation and criteria for analytical methods; and the production of reference and testing materials to be used for food control. New technologies and analytical research enable us to measure new and emerging food contaminants and other chemicals that may be a threat to the health of the consumer. Once risk assessment confirms the threat, legislation may be enacted to limit the amount of these chemicals present in food that is sold. In order to enforce this legislation it is necessary to be able to detect the presence of chemical and measure its concentration in food. Hence, the consumer protection provided by enforcement depends on how well the measurement method performs. We need to be confident that measurement methods are performing sufficiently well to protect the consumer, without leading to the rejection of large quantities of food that comply with legislation. A number of approaches that can be used to provide confidence include: the use of standard methods, the use of analytical criteria that describe the performance of a method, and consideration of fitness for purpose based on measurement uncertainty. This paper examines the utility and ease of application of the different approaches. In addition a simple method for assessing fitness for purpose, the uncertainty profile, is discussed.JRC.D.6-Food Safety and Qualit

Validation Procedures for Quantitative Food Allergen ELISA Methods: Community Guidance and Best Practices

This document provides supplement guidance on specifications for the development and implementation of studies to validate the performance characteristics of quantitative ELISA methods for the determination of food allergens. It is intended as a companion document to the "AOAC Official Methods of Analysis Appendix D: Guidelines for Collaborative Study Procedures to Validate Characteristics of a Method of Analysis" www.aoac.org (1). The guidance is divided into two sections: information to be provided by the method developer on various characteristics of the method, and implementation of a multi-laboratory validation study. Certain criteria included in the guidance are allergen-specific. Two food allergens: egg and milk are used to demonstrate the criteria guidance. These recommendations will be the basis of the harmonized validation protocol for any food allergen ELISA method, whether proprietary or nonproprietary, that will be submitted to AOAC and/or regulatory authorities or other bodies for status recognition. It should be noted that regulatory authorities may have their own particular requiretments for data packages in addition to the guidance in this document. Future work is planned for the implementation and validation of this guidance. This future work will also inclkude guidance specific to other priority allergensJRC.D.5-Food Safety and Qualit