Sofia - News

 

Dec 28, 2011

Nicotine

Since the beginning of 1980's the use of nicotine preparations as pesticides in German agriculture has been banned because of its toxic effects. In August 2011 the MRL's were newly determined in VO(EG) 396/2005 for tea, spices and herbs.

The Sofia GmbH has now successfully established the analysis of nicotine in these matrices. This test is also available as EXPRESS analysis.

 

Oct 27, 2011

New LOQ for the analysis of Glyphosat

Glyphosat is one of the most widely used compounds in conventional farming.

Eurofins/Sofia is one of the leading laboratories in the field of Glyphosate analysis. We always improve our methods and now we are able to offer a LOQ of 0,01 mg/kg for this substance in nearly all matrices.

Normal TAT: 5 days (express possible)

For further information please click here »
 

Aug 26, 2011

Sampling

A new service from Eurofins SOFIA!

[please click here for further information]

May 31, 2011

Pesticide metabolites 

Recently pesticide metabolites became a centre of attention  in the analysis of ground water, drinking water and mineral water. The parent compounds are "relevant" to the German drinking water regulations (Trinkwasserverordnung, TVO) for which the TVO MRLs are observed. The other compounds are mainly "non relevant" metabolites. These show less toxicological relevance. The TVO MRLs are not valid.

The German Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA), however, issued health orientation guidelines that can be used in the assessment of metabolite concentrations. Furthermore, the metabolites can indicate the influence of surface water on a groundwater aquifer. This has special relevance in the field of mineral water analysis. EUROFINS / SOFIA GmbH offers two complementary tests that together cover more than 50 of these compounds and most of the respective parent compounds. The analysis is done using LC-MS/MS. The limits of quantitation are in the range of 0.01 to 0.05 µg/l.

For further information please contact us.
 

 

March 23, 2011

 Contemporary issue: Glyphosate


..... read more
 

Feb 3, 2011

New Service Centre in Turkey

We opened a new office in Izmir (Smyrna). Izmir is the third largest city of Turkey with an excellent infrastructure and direct access to the big harbour. Therefore, orders concerning Turkish products can be executed promptly and samples can be processed without long shipping periods.    ......  read more

 

Oct 25, 2010

Detection of Epigallocatechin and Epigallocatechingallat in Tea

(-)-Epigallocatechin and (-)-Epigallocatechingallat belong to the group of polyphenols. They are common for e. g. in tea and because their positive effect they are popular in health matters.

Recently, we are able to detect (-)-Epigallocatechin and (-)-Epigallocatechingallat at the same time as Catechin (+), Epicatechin (+), Caffeine and Theobromin in tea matrix.
 

Oct 16, 2010

New method for morpholine detection in fruit

Fruits, especially apples and citrus fruits, are frequently treated with wax emulsions to provide longer shelf life and a more attractive look. Some of the formulations use emulsifiers that contain the chemical morpholine. The use of morpholine in those formulations is permitted in the US but in the European Community it is not.

In September 2010 the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) published unauthorised amounts of morpholine in apples. SOFIA GmbH developed a new method for the detection of morpholine in fruits.

This test is also available as EXPRESS analysis.

Validierungsdaten:  Gesamtbericht_Morpholine.pdf
 

Oct 5, 2010

Veröffentlichung
KITTLAUS ET AL.: JOURNAL OF AOAC INTERNATIONAL VOL. 92, NO. 3, 2009

New Approaches for Determination of Glyphosate and
Aminomethylphosphonic Acid from Different Tea
Samples-Prospects and Limits of Cleanup with Molecularly Imprinted Polymer and Titanium Dioxide

STEFAN KITTLAUS
TU Dresden, Food Chemistry, Bergstraße 66, D-01069 Dresden, Germany

JÜRGEN LIPINSKI
SOFIA GmbH Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 29, D-12489 Berlin, Germany

KARL SPEER
TU Dresden, Food Chemistry, Bergstraße 66, D-01069 Dresden, Germany

Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide
worldwide. To identify glyphosate and its metabolite,
aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA),
in the difficult-to-analyze matrix of tea, new
methods were developed. The main emphasis was
placed on the cleanup procedure. Two different
solid-phase extraction methods were tested and
evaluated: one with molecularly imprinted
polymers, and the other with immobilized titanium
dioxide. The optimization was carried out on the
basis of aqueous standard solutions and spiked
tea extracts. Validated results were presented for
pipet tips that contained immobilized titanium
dioxide. After the extraction of glyphosate from tea
samples using hydrochloric acid (0.1%),
glyphosate and AMPA were concentrated on the
adsorbent by pipetting up and down several times
without changing the tip. The elution was carried
out subsequent to a washing step with 5%
ammonia. The extract was derivatized with
2,2,2-trifluoroacetic acid and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol
and then analyzed by GC with MS detection in the
negative chemical ionization mode. Quantification
was carried out in the selected-ion monitoring
mode based on the m/z ratio of characteristic ions
due to the ionization process. For glyphosate
m/z = 370 was applied, and m/z = 351 for AMPA.
The detection limit was 0.03 mg/kg tea for
glyphosate and 0.006 mg/kg tea for AMPA. The
recoveries for the tested working range (0.1 to
2.8 mg/kg tea) were low but constant at 14 and
12%, respectively. Altogether, the method presented
here can be carried out easily and quickly, and it
gives reliable information on the presence of the
analytes in a sample. Quantification is also possible
using standard addition.

 

 

Feb 20, 2009





 

Apr 26, 2007

New - Analysis of melamine and cyanuric acid in PET-food, Gluten and other protein raw materials

Following the death of a number of dogs and cats in the United States, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlighted the presence of melamin in pet food and its ingredients such as gluten. ....more

Nov 28, 2005

ITX - Isopropylthioxanthone

ITX is used as photoinitiator for the offset printing of lables and packaging materials. Trace were detected in baby-milk in november 2005. In four European countries such products were taken from the market.

SOFIA GmbH has implemented the analytical method to determine ITX in packagings and foods.
 

Nov 14, 2005

Sofia Newsletter Nr. 4/2005:

Content:

August 18, 2005

Sofia Newsletter No. 3/2005

Enhanced compound list for the screening of azo dyes

With the News (1/2005) we gave you some information about azo dyes in spices and palm oil and presented our screening method for the determination of these compounds. With the decision 2005/402/EG the EU extends the content of the decision 2004/92/EG also to palm oil and curcuma.

As announced in the first news SOFIA expands the list of analysed dyes within the screening and covers materials like chili, red pepper, curcuma and palm oil.  ...more

 

August 2005

Sofia Newsletter No. 2/2005 :

Content:
New - GMO-analysis (genetically modified organisms)
We offer a combined CaMV 35S promoter / nos terminator screening by realtime PCR for the detection of genetically modified plants. ... more

New - ESBO
ESBO (CAS  008013-07-8) is the abbreviation for epoxidized soybeanoil. This compound is used as plastiziser and stabilizer in PVC-materials for sealing masses of lids.  .. more

Ring test participation of Sofia GmbH
As an accreditated laboratory SOFIA GmbH regularly takes part on several ring tests. .. more 

Reaccreditation
In june of this year our laboratories was audeted for the reaccreditation according ISO/IEC 17025  - with success. The new certificates and technical profiles are expected till september.

 

Juni
2005

Sofia Newsletter No. 1/2005

Sudan dyes in chili, paprika and palm oil
The compounds  Sudan I to IV are azodyes. Their matabolites cause cancer and are discussed to damage the genom. ... more
 

Mai
2005

Complete relaunch of our website
For better and more informations we have relaunched our website.
 

Nov
2004

Pesticides in drinking water
The MRL (maximum residue limit) of the drinking water regulation is 0,1µg/L for the particular compound and 0,5 µg/L for the sum of pesticides.   ... more

 

Sept
2004

2-Ethylhexansäure - Semicarbazid(SEM)
Verwendung von Kunststoffen als Dichtmaterialien in den Deckeln von Gläschenkost  ... weiter lesen
 

Aug
2004

Acrylamid in foodstuffs
... more

 




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