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"Foodstuffs within the meaning of the Foodstuffs and Commodities Act are materials which are intended to be consumed by humans in an unaltered, treated or processed state; an exception is materials predominantly intended to be consumed for other purposes than for nutrition or enjoyment". For toxicologists and analysts, foodstuffs are the main source of consumption of organic and inorganic contaminants. The chemically analytical monitoring of the content of contaminants in foodstuffs therefore plays a central role for quality assurance of these products. Sofia GmbH always offers importers and producers a competent partner in discussions with its 6 food chemists. The subject of "pesticide residue in tea" has been treated in the past two years in various consumer magazines such as "Test" or "Ökotest". The consciousness for the necessity of an extensive quality control with tea importers and traders is now extraordinarily high as a result of this discussion. The Tea Association has published a recommendation describing the minimum requirements made of these quality controls. Sofia GmbH was involved in the development of these recommendations. Sofia GmbH is an expert for the chemically analytical examination of tea for pesticides. Annually, several hundred samples from various cultivation areas such as India, China, Japan and Africa pass through our laboratory. In tea cultivation, mainly insecticide active agents are used. The spectrum of substances ranges from the old substance classes, the organochlorine insecticides, to the modern substances, the pyrethroids and urea compounds. Regionally, the pattern of the pesticides used varies greatly, mainly depending upon the supply companies active regionally. In addition, this spectrum of substances is subject to a permanent change. For the examination laboratory, this means that analysis is to be aligned in such a way that substances not detected up to now are always to be detected. Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, (insecticide ureas and carbamates) Tea-like products are vegetable products prepared by the consumers like tea, but not originating from the tea plant. Examples are:
The amount of pesticide residue is considerably lower here than with tea. Nevertheless, from an analytical point of view, these parts of plants are materials very difficult to analyse because they have a very high content of accompanying materials which disturb the examination. Here, only an effective clean-up and analysis based on ultra-modern technique can survive. Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, (insecticide ureas and carbamates) With regard to their content of resides of pesticides, therapeutic herbs are subject to the provisions of the European Pharmacopoeia (Eur. Ph.). Thus, the pesticide residues to be examined in therapeutic herbs are also stipulated. From an analytical point of view, therapeutic herbs are comparable with tea-like products; they possess a complex matrix with many accompanying materials disturbing the examination. Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, dithiocarbamates, piperonyl butoxide In the laboratory of Sofia GmbH, various sorts of vegetables are examined for pesticide residues. These are both domestic and also imported goods, products from ecological cultivation and also conventional products as well as vegetables used for the production of baby food. The crop-protection agents used on the various crops are very heterogeneous and are only partly detected with the S19 screening method. The number of pesticide findings is higher in imported goods than in domestic goods. In particular out-of-season vegetables - for example lettuce in winter - have a higher pesticide content. In addition, herbicides play a large role in cultivation as do fungicides in stock protection. In order to ensure extensive quality assurance here, the spectrum of substances to be examined must be laid down as a function of the kind of vegetable. Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, dithiocarbamates, piperonyl butoxide, urea herbicides, carbamates, benomyle, carbendazime, thiabendazole, gasification agents (methyl bromide, HCN, phosphine). The German
Foodstuffs Book defines "spices" as follows: Parameters to be examined: DFG S19
In the laboratory of Sofia GmbH various sorts of fruits are examined for pesticide residues. These are both domestic and also imported goods, products from ecological cultivation and also conventional products as well as vegetables used for the production of baby food. The crop-protection agents used on the various crops are very heterogeneous and are only partly detected with the S19 screening method. The number of pesticide findings is higher in imported goods than in domestic goods. In particular out-of-season vegetables - for example strawberries in winter - have a higher pesticide content. In addition, herbicides play a large role in cultivation as do fungicides in stock protection. Growth regulators like chlormequat are used in order to extend the retention time of the fruit on the tree. In order to ensure extensive quality assurance here, the spectrum of substances to be examined must be laid down as a function of the kind of vegetable. Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, dithiocarbamates, piperonyl butoxide, urea herbicides, carbamates, benomyle, carbendazime, thiabendazole, gasification agents (methyl bromide, HCN, phosphine), chlormequat. The spectrum of pesticide residues proven on grain samples is subject to a quick change and entails very modern crop-protection agents like Spiroxamin, azoles, azoxystrobine or phenmedipham. A test is to be done for chlormequat as a stem shortener as well as for total herbicides Glyphosat and Glufosinat. In addition, the mycotoxins have outstanding importance for quality assurance in grain and gain products (example: ergot). Here, testing for desoxynivalenol (DON) and possibly for aflatoxins is necessary. In maize and maize products, the substance class of the fumonisins is becoming more and more frequent.und. Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, specific substance lists for the species of grain, chlormequat, glyphosate, glufosinate, mycotoxins.
Analytical data form the basis particularly for the assessment of high-quality oils such as olive oil. Amongst other things, they give information about thermal treatments, refinement, the use of pesticides in olive cultivation, oxidative changes in storage. The tests to be held entail very simple titrimetric methods to determine characteristics and complex chromatographic /mass spectrometric methods.
Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, peroxide number, acid number, water content, fatty acid pattern, triglyceride pattern........
The quality control of drinking water in Berlin is a public matter. Therefore, the offer of Sofia GmbH here also extends to the examination of surface water as an environmental sample and to the examination of mineral and table water for organic contaminants. Examples for the latter are the contamination of natural mineral water with plasticisers (nonyl phenol) from the plastic coatings of the aluminium tops of glass bottles. For the examination of water in the course of environmental monitoring programmes, the spectrums of substances are agreed in cooperation with the customers. Alongside pesticide residues, these examination programmes increasingly entail medication residues. The development of the methods for the examination of water samples is one of the focal points of research at Sofia GmbH (cf. innovation). Parameters to be examined: DFG S19, - substance spectrum, herbicides, organic industrial chemicals, medication residues.
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