GovWire

The Government Chemist Annual Review provides a summary of the work undertaken by the Government Chemist team, including highlights from the resolution of referee cases, advisory work and capability building activities. The review also details the impact of the work obtained though active engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. The main topics described in this review are:

• Referee cases: evaluations of kitchen utensils for primary aromatic amines, scrutinising pesticide protection measurements for tea and flaxseed imports, detection of aflatoxin in in-shell peanuts and curry powder and analysis of rice imports for the presence of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
• Advisory role: overview of the activities associated with the advisory role, including responding to enquiries from stakeholders and consultations
• Capability building: the review highlights particular projects the Government Chemist team worked on to be ready for future challenges, such as using isotope ratio analysis for food authenticity (coffee) and the contribution to work under the Nanoplastics EURAMET project
• Knowledge sharing activities to further the impact of the referee and advisory functions: the review highlights some of the publications, webinar and other engagement activities undertaken by the team to ensure that the breadth of knowledge generated through the Government Chemists programme reaches its target audiences