California announces ban of Chlorpyrifos Pesticide from February 2020
26 November 2019
Chlorpyrifos Pesticide ban in California
California announces ban of Chlorpyrifos Pesticide from February 2020
A recent Forbes article has stated that; “California plans to ban all sales of chlorpyrifos after Feb. 6, 2020, according to an agreement between the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and manufacturers. Growers must use their chlorpyrifos supplies by the end of Dec. 31, 2020, and will not be allowed to own the pesticide after this date.
The DPR cited concerns about chlorpyrifos affecting the health of children, such as causing “impaired brain and neurological development.”
Chlorpyrifos is an agricultural pesticide with a variety of uses, including the ability to kill insects that harm crops. Introduced by the Dow Chemical Company in 1965, chlorpyrifos can eliminate insects by interfering with an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase in their bodies, which breaks up the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
When an insect’s body cannot produce the enzyme, the levels of acetylcholine build up and overstimulate the nervous system until the insect dies. People also have acetylcholinesterase and acetylcholine in their bodies, so there have been ongoing concerns about the pesticide’s impact on human health.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) explained, “In people, short-term oral exposure (one day) to low (milligrams) levels of chlorpyrifos can cause dizziness, fatigue, runny nose or eyes, salivation, nausea, intestinal discomfort, sweating and changes in heart rate. Short-term oral exposure to much higher (grams) levels of chlorpyrifos may cause paralysis, seizures, loss of consciousness and death.”
In order to help the industry Randox Food Diagnostics have developed Biochip Array Technology. Biochip allows for the detection of multiple pesticides including Chlorpyrifos, from a single honey or milk sample. The platform enables the user to run up to 54 samples on the Evidence Investigator analyser with a short sample preparation, allowing the user to consolidate costs and time.
For further information please contact the Randox Food Diagnostics team by emailing info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com.
Want to know more?
Contact us or visit our Randox Food Diagnostics website.
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Milk
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Randox Food Diagnostics are attending AOAC Denver 2019
30 August 2019
Randox Food Diagnostics are attending AOAC Denver 2019
Randox Food Diagnostics are exhibiting at AOAC in Denver. Various contaminants are administered to animals during the farming process to treat infection and maintain herd health. Regulations are often adhered to, as quality control procedures are put in place to ensure the safe supply of agricultural produce and this is where Biochip technology can streamline the quality control process. By offering a system that can analyse up to 48 sample simultaneously, our technology delivers higher throughput which in turn saves time and money on laboratory costs and labour.
Randox Food and Biochip Array Technology
Biochip Array technology (BAT) is designed with the aim of revolutionising the screening practices of your laboratory. Designed to work across a wide variety of matrices, BAT uses a micro-spotting technique to create an assay that can detect and provide quantitative results for up to 44 residues from a single sample.
The market leading 9mm x 9mm ceramic chip brings the capacity to detect the range of antibiotics, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, growth promoting and mycotoxin residues simultaneously in a range of food and feed samples.
AOAC’s annual meeting is taking place this September in Denver. The meeting organises scientific sessions, roundtable discussions, workshops and poster presentations discussing a variety of analytical methods and requirements. Attended by scientists from across the world the conference discusses science at a different level.
At AOAC Denver you will get the opportunity to speak to our experts on the Biochip Array Technology. By visiting booth #416 you will get an introduction to BAT and find out how the technology can perfectly fit any of your screening needs.
To learn more about Biochip Array Technology contact info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com or stop by Booth #416 at AOAC Denver 2019 and chat the Randox Food team!
Find out more about AOAC.
Want to know more?
Contact us or visit our Randox Food Diagnostics website.
Related Products
Meat & Seafood
Milk
Honey
Wine
Workplace Alcohol and Drug Testing Solutions from RTS
At Randox Testing Services our workplace drug & alcohol testing programs are designed with the customer in mind. We tailor our packages to ensure that every company has the testing program in place that suits the needs of their business. We find that no two companies have the same requirements. What works for one may not necessarily work for another, so our experience in helping companies craft tailored packages has afforded us knowledge that has allowed us to build long-term customer relationships.
Have a read below about how we help companies across various markets in their efforts to provide safer workplaces by reducing the impact of drugs & alcohol.
Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing
With the widespread availability of drugs and alcohol, there is an increased risk of substance abuse in the workplace leading to huge ramifications for a business and its employees. Jeopardising the safety of not only the user, but also their co-workers and in some cases the public, it affects the whole business environment and puts those present at serious risk of harm.
It is estimated that 1 in 20 people aged between 15-64 used an illicit drug in the past year. What’s more concerning is that 10% of these people are considered to be problem drug users. In the UK, it is estimated that £7.3 billion is lost each year due to the amount of lost work and productivity through alcohol abuse alone.
To counteract the negative effects substance misuse can have on a company, many organisations implement a policy that outlines their expectations concerning working whilst under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Employers hold the responsibility to ensure employees are fully aware of the company’s rules, regulations, testing and disciplinary procedures.
Our complete testing solutions ensure companies are provided with the necessary support and information in their efforts to implement workplace testing. Our drug & alcohol testing experts can provide information on sample types, types of testing, policy and drugs we test for; all of which are designed to ensure needs and requirements are met.
Medico-Legal Drug & Alcohol Testing
Medico-legal testing for drugs and alcohol may be required by various professional bodies involved in child custody cases, care proceedings or child protection cases. Drug & alcohol testing is important to ensure child protection from the detrimental effects of parental substance misuse and to ensure they have a quality of life they deserve.
At Randox Testing Services we provide drug & alcohol testing to all professionals within the family law and medico-legal sector. Our hair drug testing service utilised accredited testing methods and is made more cost-effective through the patented testing methods we have developed.
Our drug and alcohol testing solutions are flexible and can be tailored to our customer needs with a choice of testing methods. We offer a comprehensive drugs of abuse test menu and our service also includes expert witness reporting where applicable.
Randox Testing Services
Want to know more about the drug & alcohol testing services we offer for workplaces and professionals in the medico-legal sector? One of our experienced business development executives will be happy to discuss your requirements. Contact us using any of the below methods.
Web: www.randoxtestingservices.com
Email: testingservices@randox.com
Tel: +44 (0) 28 9445 1011
China’s harmful antibiotic use within seafood & chicken
Recent studies have found harmful water and food contamination throughout China due to the country’s large use of antibiotics.
In June 2006 an infant receiving treatment for a fungal infection and pneumonia in Guangzhou City was found to be infected with a kind of super bacteria resistant to seven types of antibiotics. The Epoch Times reported that Dr. Song Yanyan, who was involved in the treatment, told Chinese media Sina that nowadays many newborn babies are found to be carrying super bacteria. In antibiotic susceptibility tests, 70% of newborns were found to show resistance to one or more antibiotics, a huge increase when compared with previous figures.
Epoch times reported that; Dr Ying – lead researcher of antibiotics at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, led a research team all over China to investigate the scale of antibiotics consumption and discharge into the environment. They produced an “antibiotics pollution map” and the findings were that in 2013 alone, 162,000 tons of antibiotics were consumed in China—52% for veterinary treatment, and 48% for human treatment. The researchers mainly focused on 36 types of the most commonly detected antibiotics. The annual consumption of these antibiotics was more than 90,000 tons, of which 84% was given to livestock.
It was found that because of the large number of animals in pig and chicken farms, farmers have been adding a variety of antibiotics to the feed to reduce the chances of infectious diseases. Similarly, aquaculture farmers often add antibiotics when feeding fish, shrimp and crab. The export of these chicken, fish and seafood products from China pose health concerns for consumers because of their high antibiotic levels.
In order to help the industry, Randox Food Diagnostics developed the revolutionary multiplexing Biochip Array Technology, allowing the screening of up to 54 individual meat, seafood, feed or cereal samples for multiple drug residues, growth promoters and toxins on the Evidence Investigator analyser in under 2 hours and 30 minutes. This high throughput allows the user to save on time and consolidate costs in comparison to confirmatory laboratories.
For more information, contact us by email at info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com.
Why is testing for Acetic Acid important in winemaking?
Acetic Acid in winemaking
When it comes to winemaking, the acidity in wine is an important component for the quality and taste. It adds a sharpness to the flavours and is detected most readily by a prickling sensation on the sides of the tongue and a mouth-watering aftertaste.
Acetic acid is a two-carbon organic acid produced in wine during or after the fermentation period. It is the most volatile of the primary acids associated with wine and is responsible for the sour taste of vinegar.
During fermentation, activity by yeast cells naturally produces a small amount of acetic acid. If the wine is exposed to oxygen, Acetobacter bacteria will convert the ethanol into acetic acid. This process is known as the “acetification” of wine and is the primary process behind wine degradation into vinegar.
Randox Food Diagnostics offer multiple tests for wine analysis including Acetic Acid on both the RX misano and the RX monaco.
Acetic Acid
| Method | Sensitivity | Linearity |
| Manual | N/A | 0.3 g/l |
| RX misano | 0.117 g/l | Conc. Of standard |
| RX Monaco | 0.03 g/l | Conc. Of standard |
For more information about our food testing for winemaking please contact us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com
Antibiotic testing in shrimp
Seafood is one of the most important exports in India with its shrimp being a staple food in many countries worldwide. However, 2017 and 2018 saw 27 shipments of shrimp refused entry into the US by the FDA. This was followed closely in January 2019, when 26 lines were refused due to the presence of two banned antibiotics, nitrofurans and chloramphenicol.
With Indian shrimp accounting for around one third of the countries seafood exports, India has expressed its concern over the rejections. It responded by calling the tests on the products ‘too stringent’.
The global shrimp industry is estimated to be worth around $30 billion and India’s market share is estimated at 13% in value terms.
Dr. Ramraj, President of the All Indian Shrimp Hatcheries Association has stated, “some of the metabolites in shrimp and crustacean shells are known to mimic antibiotics and therefore could give false results”.
The use of antibiotics in shrimp farming in India is banned. Madhusudano Rao, Principal scientist at India’s Central Institute of Fisheries Technology has said, “All shrimp hatchery operators and shrimp farmers and advised to use only these antibiotic- free inputs during shrimp farming”.
Randox Food Diagnostics offer the most comprehensive range of ELISA and Biochip tests currently on the market, specifically designed to identify and detect the smallest traces of the most prevalent antibiotics used in seafood, including nitrofurans and chloramphenicol.
For more information please email us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com or visit our website at www.randoxfooddiagnostics.com.
New findings show antimicrobial resistance on the rise
New antimicrobial resistance findings released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have reported that antimicrobials used to treat diseases can be transmitted between animals and humans. The report presents data from 28 European Union (EU) Member States on humans, pigs, and calves under one year old.
Discussing the report, Poultry World documented that resistance to fluoroquinolones is now so high in Campylobacter bacteria that these antimicrobials no longer work for treatment of severe cases. Studies found that in Campylobacter, extremely high proportions of bacteria were resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines.
Despite the increase of antimicrobial resistance, Member States that have implemented stringent policies are noteworthy examples for other countries. Broiler farms in the United Kingdom (UK) reduced their antibiotic use by 82% between 2012 and 2017, producing half the meat eaten in the UK and using less than 9.7% of the total antibiotics licensed for food-producing animals.
In the UK, the poultry industry set up the Antibiotic Stewardship group in 2011 to tackle antimicrobial resistance and pre-empt the need for new laws. Coordinated by the British Poultry Council (BPC), participants worked together, shared industry data, and managed a 40% reduction of antibiotic use between 2016-2017. Fluoroquinolone use alone reduced by 91% in the UK. On-going work is to continue in order to improve antimicrobial use, with better data collection and advanced rapid testing methods for antimicrobial sensitivity.
Randox Food Diagnostics recognise the need for antimicrobial detection by providing reliable and economical testing methods to monitor multiple residues from a single sample with Biochip Array Technology. With the Antimicrobial II Array Plus, Randox Food Diagnostic’s offer the detection of 6 classes of antimicrobial compounds including quinolones and tetracycline from urine and tissue samples. Additionally, our tetracycline sensitive and quinolones ELISA kits rapidly uncover additional analytes, with excellent sensitivity levels.
For more information please contact us at info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com
Or visit the meat and seafood section of our website at www.randoxfood.com
Northern Irish farmers encouraged to reduce farm antibiotic use
As part of a wider government initiative to tackle Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), Northern Ireland farmers are being given the opportunity to attend a range of training events aimed at educating them more about potential risks to their businesses.
The new training course titled ‘Responsible Use of Antibiotics in the Dairy Herd’ will be delivered by Animal Health & Welfare Northern Ireland (AHWNI), as part of Farm Family Key Skills (FFKS), an initiative within the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS). The training will equip farmers on how to reduce and optimise their use of antibiotics. It will also give key tips on the best use of antibiotics and how to avoid the risk of residues by following suitable withdrawal guidelines.
Ulster Farmers Union president, Ivor Ferguson said; “As a farming industry, we are committed to playing our part in reducing antibiotic usage and resistance. Significant progress has already been made in the pig and poultry sectors, which have seen their usage fall by over 50% and 80% respectively.”
The initiative is also supported by Dairy UK and many dairy companies to complement the MilkSure program ensuring that Northern Ireland milk is produced to the highest standards.
Randox Food Diagnostics are continuously investing in innovative multiplexing screening technology to enable the agriculture and food industries to implement effective drug residue screening. Our patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT) can detect multiple toxins, residues & contaminants (up to 44) from a single sample. The Infiniplex Array for milk ensures dairy processors are compliant with 98% of EU regulations for antibiotics and can also detect anti- parasitic, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic drug residues from a single neat sample of milk!
Our extensive test menu is also available across a range of matrices including Meat and Feed. For more information on the screening arrays available, contact info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com to find out how Randox Food can help protect your industry.
Ractopamine Detection in Meat
Ractopamine was first developed as a treatment for asthma but was never approved according to Consumer Reports. Research later uncovered that when added to animal feed prior to slaughter, ractopamine could increase meat leanness or weight. However, ractopamine is currently banned or resisted in over 160 nations, including Russia and all European Union countries.
Ractopamine belongs to a class of drugs known as beta-agonists. These drugs mimic the effects of adrenaline, resulting in increased protein synthesis in muscle tissue during the administration period. When looking at the long-term effects of the therapeutic use of beta-agonists, side effects include a fast heart rate, widening of blood vessels, skeletal muscle tremor, nervousness, metabolic disturbances, high blood sugar and a lower than normal potassium in the blood. It is for this reason that in Europe all beta-agonists are banned for use in livestock and for improving athletic performance according to EU council directive 96/22/EC.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide a “Never Fed Beta Agonists” program for companies that produce livestock and beef and pork products. Companies are to meet the requirements of the program if they are to supply pork or beef to customers that require verification of marketing claims that meat is derived from animals that are free of beta agonist residues.
With over 35 years’ experience within the diagnostics industry, Randox Food Diagnostics provide the highest quality products, customer service and technical support to ensure the needs of our global customer base are met. Our dedicated research and development team have therefore created our USDA approved ELISA kit for the detection of ractopamine residues. Offering excellent limits of detection, our accurate and reliable ractopamine test is applicable on urine and tissue sample types.
To ensure compliance with regulations, Randox Food Diagnostics also provide the Growth Promoter Multiple Matrix Array. Utilising our patented Biochip Array Technology, the Growth Promoter Multiple Matrix Array detects for several growth promoters in meat, including ractopamine.
For more information on our ractopamine ELISA or Growth Promoter Multiple Matrix Array, email info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com
IDF WDS 2018 | The Countdown is On
With just one month to go until IDF WDS 2018 in Daejeon, South Korea preparations are underway at Randox Food Diagnostics HQ. IDF WDS is the world’s leading dairy conference, attended by industry experts, multi-national dairy processors, standing committees and academics, the event is truly one of a kind. Randox Food Diagnostics are exhibiting at booth #16 showcasing our most innovative development yet, the InfiniPlex for Milk Array.
InfiniPlex for Milk is a dairy test kit that offers testing using the most innovative method on the market. Testing milk at various points of the production process is an essential part of the quality control process. Contaminants are administered to dairy cattle to improve herd health, stop the spread of disease and deliver a high-quality product. As a result of this it then becomes essential to screen the milk to ensure no residues pass through to the final product.
The quality of milk is gaining closer inspection on a global scale with antimicrobial resistance at the forefront of concerns. Regulations are getting stricter and many processors are facing the problem that their current quality control method does not have a comprehensive enough test menu. The InfiniPlex for Milk Array helps processors tackle this problem by providing a test menu that complies with EU regulated antibiotics from one sample of raw milk.
There are two analysers that can run the InfiniPlex test kit, the Evidence Investigator and the Evidence MultiSTAT. The Investigator is suitable for laboratories with high throughput delivering 48 samples in under 2 hours and the MultiSTAT is perfect for onsite testing at dairy processors, border control or at farm level with results available in under 20 minutes.
Join us at IDF 2018, Daejeon, South Korea to learn more about how InfiniPlex for Milk can fit in with your quality control process. Alternatively, contact info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com for more information.
