image description

News

FACT SHEET Carbendazim Analysis and Implications Carbendazim is a broadspectrum benzimidazole fungicide widely used in many countries to control fungal diseases in certain crops including fruit trees. Earlier this year traces of carbendazim were found in orange products imported from Brazil to the US. The Brazilian juice manufacturer informed the United States Food and Drug Administration that some Brazilian growers had sprayed trees with the chemical and levels up to 0.035 ppm were found in juice arriving in the US, where carbendazim spraying is banned. Australia imports 32,000 tonnes of frozen concentrate orange juice annually, twothirds of which comes from Brazil(1). According to Food Standards Australia the acceptable level for carbendazim residue in Australia is 10 ppm which was well above the acceptable level in Europe of 0.2 ppm whilst in the US no trace is permitted(1). The levels detected in the US were well below the internationally accepted level for carbendazim permitted in oranges and significantly below the US human health and safety level(2). Even though the levels detected to date are very low and considered safe, the US began rigorous testing for carbendazim as the chemical is banned for use on orange crops. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) are completing a review of the use of carbendazim in Australian agricultural sector. Some agricultural production uses, including use on all citrus fruits, were suspended by the APVMA in January 2010(2). Australian companies are still importing orange juice from Brazil to meet the local demand even though the US has temporarily stopped doing so because of health concerns associated with use of carbendazim. It is imperative that the Australian importers, just as their US counterparts, undertake testing of all imported orange juice from Brazil to gauge the concentration of carbendazim in these products to ensure that the levels found are below the acceptable levels and do not pose a health risk. The Food Safety Laboratory (FSL) within Agrifood Technology was approached by importers to test for carbendazim in respective imported orange juice from Brazil. Based on the in house methodology for the determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, analysts at FSL employed the highly sophisticated Liquid ChromatographyMass Spectrophotometer instrument equipped with a Triple Quadrupole Detector to determine the concentrations of carbendazim in a range of orange juice samples imported from Brazil. The methodology and instrumental analytical technique engaged allowed the determination of carbendazim levels to as low as 0.001 ppm (1 ppb), highlighting the sensitivity of the analytical techniques available within FSL. Consequentially signifying the wider scope and capacity the laboratory possesses for analysis and determination of a wide range of pesticides and/or other chemical components in a given matrix at extremely low levels. 1) http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusinessand general/general/carbendazimscareinbrazilianfruitjuice/2418771.aspx 2) http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/factsheets/factsheets/carb endaziminorangej5414.cfm
LIME ANALYSIS ­ FACT SHEET BACKGROUND Soil acidity (low pH) is a serious concern across large areas of rural Australia. For example, over 65% of the Western Australian wheat belt experiences soil acidity problems. The symptoms of acidic soils include the following: Nodulation failure of legumes Deficiency symptoms of major plant nutrients (such as Molybdenum, Magnesium, Sulphur, Calcium, Phosphorus) Poor root growth Relatively low crop yields and pasture growth The application of lime is the simplest way to overcome the problems associated with soil acidity. OVERCOMING SOIL ACIDITY Before applying lime, there are two important considerations: 1. the pH and the buffering capacity of the soil that is to be treated 2. the quality of the lime that is to be applied A soil fertility test will determine the soil pH, the soil buffering capacity and will also identify nutrient deficiencies. If the soil is of low pH, then the application of lime is recommended by most agronomists. Although there are significant quantities of lime available, its quality varies significantly. Both neutralising value and particle size distribution (fineness) are significant factors of lime quality and directly influence the quantity of lime required to increase the pH of acidic soils. Neutralising value (NV): It is the carbonate in agricultural lime which neutralises acidic soils. As such, the quantity of carbonate in lime is vital and is reflected by the neutralising value. The neutralising value is the capacity of the material under test to neutralise acid in comparison to pure calcium carbonate, which is given a value of 100%. Lime of high NV has a greater capacity to raise the pH of the soil. Particle size: The size of lime particles impacts on the speed at which the pH can be raised. This is based on the fact that fine particles have a larger surface area to react with acidic soil. Particles under 0.5 mm are most effective, with particles greater than 1 mm in diameter having limited value. There are a number of calculators readily available from agronomists and The Department of Agriculture and Food that determine the quantity of lime that needs to be applied in order to lower the soil pH. These calculators use the neutralising value and the particle size information provided by laboratories such as Agrifood Technology. CODE OF PRACTICE in WA Due to the prevalence of acidic soils in WA, the Department of Agriculture and Food WA released a `Time to Lime' campaign to increase the awareness of the damaging effects of soil acidity and the benefits of applying lime. Lime producers have also formed an independent association to advance industry issues. This association, Lime WA Incorporated, has developed a voluntary Code of Practice to provide guidelines for mining operations, product testing and reporting. The Code ensures that the testing of lime is conducted using specific test methods. Recently Agrifood Technology has conducted proficiency trials with Lime WA in order to demonstrate compliance with the standards set as part of the Code of Practice. The results of these proficiency trials have been pleasing and Agrifood Technology is now able to offer lime producers and farmers a test that complies fully with the Code of Practice. To be able to accurately differentiate the quality of lime samples and to maximise production, it is important that testing is conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice.
FACT SHEET Species Testing - Meat Species testing is now offered by Agrifood Technology. "Do you really know what's in your meat ­ is beef really 100% beef?" The identification of species content in food and animal feeds is an important control measure used to detect contamination with, or substitution of, inferior or prohibited animal species into products containing animal-derived materials. The sandwich based ELISA assay for species identification recently introduced at Agrifood Technology provides a rapid, sensitive and specific qualitative detection of a range of animal species (beef, pork, poultry and sheep) in both uncooked and cooked food products Following the recent scare of horse meat contamination in Europe, major supermarket chains in Australia are now testing their imported meat products to ensure that there are no traces of horse meat found in these products. Agrifood Technology is also able to offer the ELISA based assay for the detection of horse meat in both raw and cooked products. As an additional service we can also co-ordinate DNA based testing to be conducted. CONTACT US For more information on this service please contact Agrifood Technology on 1800 801 312 or [email protected] Agrifood Technology, Fact Sheet ­ Species Testing, May l2013
Derrimut Laboratory Team Eva Jovanovic Eva has been appointed as the Team Leader of the Agrifood Derrimut laboratory. Securing Eva for this role has been vital in being able to offer Langdon's Ingredients continuity in service and will be a vital cog in obtaining NATA accreditation for Agrifood Technology. Eva is a fully qualified and experienced Microbiologist holding a Bachelor Degree with Honours in Applied Biology and also holds a vast range of skills including being a NATA and AQIS signatory. Eva has been the Team Leader at the Derrimut site for the past 5 years and her knowledge of the Langdon's testing requirements is second to none. Eva has also held positions in a number of other microbiology laboratories previously over the past 15 years which has enabled Eva to gain a practical knowledge of the laboratory industry and NATA requirements in particular. Eva is also a Professional member of The Australian Society for Microbiology. Sam Yazdkahast Sam will be joining the Agrifood team as the Senior Analyst. Sam holds a Bachelor Degree in Food Science and Technology and has 10 years of experience which will prove vital to the success of the laboratory. Sam has vast experience in establishing and maintaining quality management systems prior to working as a Senior Laboratory Technician and progressing to being Laboratory Supervisor with her most recent employer. Sam has previously also worked at the Derrimut facility and is very excited to be re-joining the Derrimut team. Sam spent 3 years conducting testing to specifically meet Langdon's requirements from both a microbiology and Chemistry perspective and this appointment will enable the laboratory transition to run as smoothly as possible. Sam will work very closely with Eva in working towards gaining NATA accreditation for Agrifood Technology. Sam's previous experience in the Derrimut laboratory is seen as vital in assuring Langdon's Ingredients customers that the laboratory team being assembled is of the highest quality. Janani Rajagopalan Janani will also be joining the team in addition to Eva and Sam as an Analyst. This is an additional resource that the Derrimut facility did not have previously and further illustrates Agrifood Technology's commitment to expand the services on offer at Langdon's ingredients. Janani holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Food Technology) majoring in Microbiology and Biochemistry. Janani previously worked in the quality laboratory for Agrifood Technology for 2 years before moving to a microbiology laboratory to further enhance her experience where she has developed her microbiology skills over the past 3 years. Sue Quiring In addition to the 3 laboratory staff above, Agrifood Technology has also engaged the services of Sue Quiring, a highly experienced microbiologist and Quality Assurance professional. With over 25 years of experience in this field, Sue will be a vital part of the Agrifood team in working towards NATA accreditation. A laboratory set up such as this is something Sue is used to. Sue has been involved in the setup of a number of different microbiology based laboratories including initially being instrumental in setting up the laboratory at the Derrimut site with her previous employer. This experience will be invaluable to Agrifood Technology and Langdon's Ingredients. Sue's experience in the food industry, commercial laboratory industry along with the medical industry will enable her to draw on the best practices currently in place from all areas in order to establish the Agrifood Technology laboratory here at the Langdon's Ingredients site with the most up to date procedures and practices in order to deliver the high level of customer service that Agrifood Technology will be aiming for. Robert Rantino Robert Rantino, Agrifood's Customer Relations Manager has been assigned by Agrifood to oversee the transition and ensure it runs as smoothly as possible. Robert also has almost 10 years of experience with Agrifood in a variety of roles and is committed to ensuring the project is delivered on time. As you can see from the new team that Agrifood technology has assembled, we believe that the level of service in this transition period will not be compromised and although in the initial stages will not be NATA accredited, the testing being performed will be of the standard expected of NATA through this highly experienced team. The onsite Agrifood team will also be supported by the main Agrifood Technology laboratory based in Werribee. The group is headed up by the Divisional Manager, Doreen Fernandez, who boasts over 20 years of experience with the company. Doreen oversees a team at Werribee of 26 full time staff along with an additional 5 staff members in the Agrifood WA facility in Bibra Lake, just out of Fremantle. Agrifood technology has been operating for 25 years and has been provided analytical testing services to the wider food, feed and Agricultural sectors in this time.