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Coffee by-products such as cascara, coffee Leaves or alcohol made from fermented coffee materials, have been traditionally used in some coffee-producing countries. While the beans have been the major commodity, [...]

Toxikologische Schwellenwerte wie die duldbare tägliche Aufnahmemenge (Acceptable Daily Intake, ADI), die akute Referenzdosis (ARfD) und die niedrigste Dosis mit beobachteter schädlicher Wirkung (Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level, LOAEL) sind entscheidend für die Bewertung der Sicherheit von Lebensmitteln. Sie berücksichtigen potenzielle Risiken durch Kurz- und Langzeitexposition gegenüber bestimmten Inhaltsstoffen und Kontaminanten in Lebensmitteln. Dieser Artikel erläutert die Bedeutung und Verwendung dieser Schwellenwerte im Sachverständigengutachten und deren aktuelle Beurteilung in der Rechtsprechung, die zwischen Verbraucherinteressen und wirtschaftlichen Interessen von Lebensmittelbetrieben abwägen muss.

Das Vorsorgeprinzip ist in der Rechtsprechung und Gesetzgebung der Europäischen Union (EU) fest verankert. Im Lebensmittelrecht wurde das Vorsorgeprinzip in Art. 7 der Lebensmittel-Basisverordnung (EG) Nr. 178/2002 (BasisVO) etabliert. Dennoch findet das Vorsorgeprinzip sowohl in der Überwachungspraxis als auch in der nationalen Rechtsprechung nicht die angemessene Beachtung. Neben der historischen Entwicklung und der Anwendung in der nationalen und europäischen Rechtsprechung werden in diesem Beitrag die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Anwendung des Vorsorgeprinzips nach Art. 7 BasisVO am Beispiel von cannabidiolhaltigen (CBD) Produkten beleuchtet. Im Ergebnis wird festgestellt, dass die Behörden im Sinne des Vorsorgeprinzips aufgrund eines wahrscheinlichen Gesundheitsrisikos prioritäre Schutzmaßnahmen ergreifen können, die über die ohnehin erforderlichen Maßnahmen der Novel Food-Verordnung hinausgehen.

While hot brewed coffee is a food item that is almost risk-free in terms of microbial safety, cold brew coffee offers good growing conditions for spoilage organisms and various pathogenic [...]

The assessment of foods containing botanicals above toxicological thresholds poses challenges, as administrative court decisions have set high barriers for the application of Art. 14 para. 2a or 2b of the General Food Law Regulation (EC) No 178/2002. If the application of Art. 14 para. 2b of the General Regulation is restricted by a narrow interpretation of para. 5 to contamination, putrefaction, spoilage or decomposition, a regulatory loophole emerges. The examples of tetrahydrocannabinol in hemp products with cannabidiol and curcumin in food supplements with turmeric illustrate the challenge of food regulatory evaluation, as there is no contamination by definition in the products mentioned. In such cases, where Art. 14 of the General Regulation cannot be applied, an assessment as unfit for consumption according to § 12 food and feed law (LFGB) has to be considered. The legal basis transferred to German national § 12 LFGB was historically used for the assessment of so-called disgust cases. However, § 12 LFGB is not explicitly limited to these, but is openly formulated for cases that are not subject to Art. 14 of the General Regulation. Accordingly, in the opinion of the authors, a food regulatory assessment of products containing botanicals that exceed toxicological threshold values is possible under § 12 LFGB.

Acetaldehyd kommt natürlicherweise in zahlreichen Lebensmitteln vor und wird aufgrund seines fruchtigen Aromas auch als Aromastoff eingesetzt. Die Internationale Agentur für Krebsforschung (IARC) stufte Acetaldehyd als möglicherweise krebserregend sowie in Verbindung mit der oralen Aufnahme über alkoholhaltige Getränke als humanes Kanzerogen ein. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellt sich die Frage, ob die Verwendung von Acetaldehyd als Aromastoff weiterhin vertretbar ist. Die Senatskommission zur gesundheitlichen Bewertung von Lebensmitteln (SKLM) der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) hat die aktuelle Datenlage zur Bewertung des gesundheitlichen Risikos der Verwendung von Acetaldehyd als Aromastoff geprüft und hierzu eine Stellungnahme verabschiedet. Demnach kann die Frage, ob Acetaldehyd nach oraler Exposition in vivo gentoxisch und mutagen wirkt, derzeit nicht abschließend beantwortet werden. Weiterhin ist auch unklar, welchen Beitrag die Verwendung von Acetaldehyd als Aromastoff zur Gesamtexposition des Verbrauchers gegenüber Acetaldehyd leistet. Eine wissenschaftliche Bewertung des gesundheitlichen Risikos der Verwendung von Acetaldehyd als Aromastoff ist daher weiterhin nicht möglich. Die SKLM weist darauf hin, dass aufgrund des gentoxischen Gefährdungspotenzials sowie zahlreicher Datenlücken, die für eine vollständige Risikobewertung geschlossen werden müssen, Zweifel an der Sicherheit von Acetaldehyd als Aromastoff bestehen. Nach Ansicht der SKLM sollte der gezielte Zusatz von Acetaldehyd als Aromastoff aus Gründen des vorsorgenden Verbraucherschutzes neu beurteilt werden.

Abstract Habitual abuse of the wormwood spirit absinthe was described in the 19th and 20th centuries as a cause for the mental disorder "absinthism" including the symptoms hallucinations, sleeplessness and [...]

Abstract Urine as well as head and pubic hair samples from drug abusers were analysed for opiates, cocaine and its metabolites, amphetamines, methadone and cannabinoids. Urine immunoassay results and the [...]

Abstract Beside morphological signs of hypertonic dehydration as tinting of skin, sunken eyes, dry surface of the galea or dry cutting areas of organs, a chemical profile of vitreous humor [...]

A methodology utilizing 1H NMR spectroscopy has been developed to measure the concentration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in dietary supplements. For sample preparation, a very simple dilution with deuterated chloroform and addition of internal standard is sufficient. CoQ10 produces a distinct peak of the CH groups in the isoprene side chain of the molecule in the δ 5.15 - 5.05 ppm range, where it can be distinguished from other matrix compounds. The method was shown to be of adequate sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) of 7.8 mg/L, to control the CoQ10 content in the majority of the products. The precision expressed as relative standard deviation was around 5 %; linearity was observed from 14 to 2000 mg/L (R = 0.99). The developed methodology was applied for the analysis of 21 food supplements (capsules, tablets, and liquid products). On the basis of the labeled amounts, only two products contained substantially lower concentrations of CoQ10 (57 % and 51 %). All other concentrations varied between 83 % and 190 % with respect to labeling. The developed NMR method may be used by quality assurance laboratories for routine control of CoQ10 products.

In some henna mixtures, para-phenylenediamine (PPD) has illegally been added and it is responsible for complications such as allergic contact dermatitis. While high-performance liquid chromatography has previously been used to detect PPD, a colorimetric method that is faster and portable, described here, has been developed. For product developers, this method can be used to evaluate henna plant extracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the potential of using near infrared (NIR) transmission spectroscopy to build calibration models for the quantitative characterisation and qualitative discrimination of Russian and non-Russian (foreign) vodkas. The results of partial least squares models based on the NIR spectra of 109 vodka samples showed that the major constituent alcoholic strength (root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) 0.25% vol) and the physical parameter relative density (RMSEP0.0003) could be successfully determined quantitatively. The method failed, however, in quantifying certain minor components such as anions, cations and sugars. For qualitative discrimination, soft independent modelling of class analogy analysis (SIMCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were applied to the sample set containing both the Russian and the foreign vodkas. Despite the correct assignment of unknown test samples to the respective vodka species, both modelling approaches, however, did not prove reliable enough for unambiguous authentication purposes.

Seeds of the opium poppy plant are legally sold and widely consumed as food. Due to contamination during harvesting, the seeds can contain morphine and other opiate alkaloids. The objective of this study is to review the toxicology of poppy seed foods regarding influence on opiate drug tests. Computer-assisted literature review resulted in 95 identified references. Normal poppy seed consumption is generally regarded as safe. During food processing, the morphine content is considerably reduced (up to 90%). The possibility of false-positive opiate drug tests after poppy food ingestion exists. There are no unambiguous markers available to differentiate poppy food ingestion from heroin or pharmaceutical morphine use. This is also a problem in heroin-assisted maintenance programs. A basic requirement in such substitution programs is the patients' abstinence from any other drugs, including additional illicit heroin. Also a lack of forensic ingestion trials was detected that consider all factors influencing the morphine content in biologic matrices after consumption. Most studies did not control for the losses during food processing, so that the initial morphine dosage was overestimated. The large reduction of the morphine content during past years raises questions about the validity of the “poppy seed defence.” However, a threshold of food use that would not lead to positive drug tests with certainty is currently unavailable. Research is needed to prove if the morphine contents in today's foods still pose the possibility of influencing drug tests. Future trials should consider processing-related morphine losses.

Background: The research aimed to study the quality of cheap alcohol products in Poland. These included unrecorded alcohols (i.e., home‐produced or illegally imported), estimated to constitute more than 25% of total consumption and fruit wines.

Background: Consumption of surrogate alcohols (i.e., nonbeverage alcohols and illegally produced alcohols) was shown to impact on different causes of death, not only poisoning or liver disease, and appears to be a major public health problem in Russia and elsewhere.

High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is introduced for the quality control and authenticity assessment of beer in official food control. Measurements were performed using a 400-MHz NMR spectrometer using flow injection technology for automatic sample changing. Only degassing and addition of buffer (pH 5.6 in D 2O for locking and 0.1% TSP for referencing) is required to prepare the beer samples. Differences in the spectral profiles of beers varying in type and origin were studied by principal component analysis (PCA), considering the spectrum to be a characteristic fingerprint. For the first time, the high throughput of a Flow-Injection NMR system allowed a comprehensive database of beer spectra for PCA classification to be established efficiently. Beers made with barley malt could be distinguished from those made with wheat malt. Clustering of beers from the same brewing sites was observed, as well as significant discrimination of beers with deteriorated quality. Using the partial least squares (PLS) method to correlate NMR spectra with results from reference methods, models for calculating the original gravity, ethanol and lactic acid were established. The results obtained suggest that NMR is a useful tool in the quality control of beer samples, since quantitative determination of essential compounds as well as chemometric classification are simultaneously possible. Compared to conventional methods, 1H NMR spectroscopy is faster and requires simpler sample preparation.

Steigende Anforderungen an lebensmittelanalytische Laboratorien erfordern eine immer rationellere Arbeitsweise. Vor allem bei Probenvorbereitung und Datenauswertung gibt es Potenziale, Arbeitsschritte zu automatisieren. Zuverlässige Screeningmethoden helfen, den Probendurchsatz zu steigern.

The use of ion chromatography to determine anions (chloride, nitrate, and sulphate) for the characterisation of colourless spirits, such as vodka or white rum, is presented. After evaporation to remove the volatiles, the sample was injected directly into the ion chromatograph. The assay showed good precision, never exceeding 1.6% RSD. The analytical results of 51 samples under study reveal that, in particular, the adulteration of brand spirits can be proven by the method described.

A new method combination, headspace solid‐phase dynamic extraction coupled with gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HS‐SPDE/GC/MS/MS), is introduced to determine drugs of abuse in hair samples. This highly automated procedure utilizes SPDE for pre‐concentration and on‐coating derivatization as well as GC and triple quadrupole MS/MS for selective and sensitive detection. All these steps, apart from washing and cutting of the hair samples, are performed without manual intervention on a robot‐like autosampler.

Fortschritte in der analytischen Chemie erlauben es seit einiger Zeit, Spurenstoffe wie Cocain in sehr geringen Konzentrationen zu finden. Ein aktuelles Beispiel sind Spuren des Alkaloids in Cola‐Getränken.

This study describes a fully automated procedure using alkaline hydrolysis and headspace (HS) solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by onfiber derivatization and gas chromatographic (GC)-mass spectrometric (MS) detection of amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylendioxyamphetamine, methylendioxymethamphetamine, methylendioxyethylamphetamine, methylendioxyphenylbutanamine, and methylmethylendioxyphenylbutanamine in human hair samples. Ten milligrams of hair is washed with deionized water, petroleum ether, and dichloromethane. After the addition of deuterated internal standards the sample is hydrolyzed with sodium hydroxide and directly submitted to HS-SPME. After the absorption of analytes for an on-fiber derivatization procedure the fiber is directly placed into the HS of a second vial containing N-methyl-bis(trifluoroacetamide) before GC-MS analysis. The limits of detection are determined between 0.01 and 0.17 ng/mg. Absolute analyte recoveries are in the range between 0.3% and 7.5%. Linearity is proven over a range from 0.1 to 50 ng/mg with coefficients of correlation from 0.998 to 1. In comparison with conventional methods of hair analysis, this fully automated HS-SPME-GC-MS procedure is substantially faster and easier to perform without using solvents. It uses minimal sample amounts and has the same degree of sensitivity and reproducibility.