Increased concerns from international health authorities such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regarding the possible risks of Bisphenol A (BPA) has resulted in an updated and extended assessment of BPA, available for public consultation from mid July to mid September 2013. To assist clients in identifying Bisphenol A in food and food contact material, and to support the quality of food contact materials, Mérieux NutriSciences is expanding its services offer to include BPA testing.
 
This chemical substance has been present in many hard plastic bottles and metal-based food and beverage cans since the 1960s. However, several regulatory health authorities, such as EFSA and the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), have expressed concerns about the use of this material. According to two reports from Anses (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) launched last April, BPA presents health risks especially for pregnant women and children.
 
Mérieux NutriSciences’ testing methods allows for the determination of BPA quantities in food, such as preserved fish products, sauces, canned vegetables and liquid simulants (oil, water, acetic acid solution and water-alcohol solution with a highly sensitive LC-MS/MS) method, with a limit of detection of 0,3 mg/kg.
 
The company assists clients in choosing the right analytical solution, whether they work with is raw materials, production intermediates or finished products to ensure that products comply with harmonized European regulatory standards and with the monitoring of potential contaminations as published by the European Rapid Alert System. The company can partner with packaging and food contact material manufacturers to assess risk and verify product safety with extensive experience in R&D and quality assurance.
 
In addition to testing levels of BPA in food and food contact materials, Mérieux NutriSciences laboratories provides testing for many other food contaminants. Standard services include physical testing, extraneous matter and heavy metal (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury) analyses. The company also employs approved methods for the detection of melamine, pesticides, mycotoxins, allergens, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
 
For more information: www.merieuxnutrisciences.com