Government Chemist
The following list of standards were published by the European standardisation organisation, CEN, during the period April to May 2017, some of which are relevant to chemical measurement in support of regulation.
Food
EN16857:2017 - Foodstuffs - Determination of benzene in soft drinks, other beverages and vegetable-based infant foods by headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS)
Benzene is carcinogenic substance that may be formed as a result of a reaction between the food additive benzoic acid and other ingredients (such as ascorbic acid) under heat.
This standard describes a validated method by inter laboratory study for determining benzene in food and beverages using headspace gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer detector (HS-GC-MS). The limit of quantification (LOQ) is between 0.5 to 1.0 g/kg depending on the sensitivity of the detector with a linear response to 20.0 g/kg.
EN 16852:2017 Foodstuffs - Determination of ethyl carbamate in stone fruit spirits, fruit marc spirits and other spirit drinks - GC-MS method
Ethyl carbamate is a genotoxic substance that forms naturally from precursors such as hydrocyanic acid, urea and ethanol during food processing and storage in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages such as soy sauce, wine, beer, and in particular spirits such as stone-fruit brandies.
This standard describes a validated method by inter laboratory study for determining ethyl carbamate in alcoholic beverages using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS). The LOQ is 0.03 mg/L with a linear response to 3.0 mg/L using the sample clean-up procedure.
EN 16857 and EN 16852 are linked to European Commission Mandate M/463 to prepare standards for the determination of food contaminants implementing Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006.
EN 16923:2017 Foodstuffs - Determination of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in cereals and cereal products for infants and young children by LC-MS/MS after SPE cleanup
T-2 toxin and its main metabolite HT-2 toxin are mycotoxins which can be produced by fungi of the genus fusarium in cereals. The EU published Commission Recommendation 2013/165/EU giving indicative levels when investigations should be performed concerning the presence of T-2 and HT-2 toxin in feed and food processing.
This standard describes a validated method by inter laboratory study for using liquid chromatography with a tandem mass spectrometer detector (LC-MS/MS) to determine T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereals and cereal products such as oak flakes following solid phase extraction (SPE).
It is reported that the method has been validated for HT-2 toxin in oat flour at levels of 9.3 g/kg and 28.1 g/kg, oat flakes at levels of 16.5 g/kg and 21.4 g/kg, and breakfast cereals (containing oat flakes) at a level of 8.1 g/kg and for T-2 toxin in oat flour at levels of 4.4 g/kg and 8.3 g/kg, oat flakes at levels of 4.9 g/kg and 6.6 g/kg and breakfast cereals (containing oat flakes) at a level of 3.5 g/kg.
EN 16924:2017 Foodstuffs - Determination of zearalenone in edible vegetable oils by LC-FLD or LC-MS/MS
Zearalenone is a mycotoxin which can be produced by fungi of the genus fusarium in vegetable oils.
This standard describes a method for using liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (LC-FLD) or a tandem mass spectrometer detector (LC-MS/MS) to determine zearalenone in naturally contaminated maize oil at levels of 61.2 to 515 g/kg.
EN 16923 and EN 16924 are linked to European Commission Mandate M520 for CEN to prepare standards containing methods of analysis for the determination of mycotoxins in food.
EN 16943:2017 Foodstuffs - Determination of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur and zinc by ICP-OES
This standard describes a validated method by inter laboratory study for determining trace elements in foods such as soya, cheese, chicken meat, wheat flour, apple juice, lobster and milk following pressure digestion and determination using optical emission spectrometry with an inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) detector. The trace elements and the detection ranges that can be determined are: calcium 70 to 7,178 mg/kg, copper 0.60 to 16.40 mg/kg, iron 0.88 to 77 mg/kg, potassium 605 to 14,312 mg/kg, magnesium 45 to 1,174 mg/kg, manganese 0.44 to 5.12 mg/kg, sodium 11 to 2,220 mg/kg, phosphorus 72 to 9,708 mg/kg, sulfur 26 to 8,542 mg/kg and zinc 0.16 to 43.5 mg/kg.
Animal and vegetable fats
EN ISO 15302:2017 Animal and vegetable fats and oils - Determination of benzo[a]pyrene - Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography method
Benzo[a]pyrene is genotoxic polyaromatic hydrocarbon that may be formed in edible oils extracted from seeds when the seeds have been dried at too high a temperature.
This standard describes a method to determine benzo[a]pyrene in crude or refined edible oils and fats by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a fluorometer detector. The LOQ is 0.1 g/kg with a linear response to 50.0 g/kg.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are restricted by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No. 835/2011
Further information on food legislation can be found on the Government Chemist website, updates to Food and feed law collection of documents: Compendium of UK food and feed legislation with associated context and changes during January to March 2016 - Government Chemist Programme Report