Analysis of Organic Contaminants

Organic contaminants are undesirable, harmful substances, which are found at trace level in foodstuffs. They are not present in food due to a deliberate action, but find their way into it through contact with air, water or soil, enter it during the manufacturing process or are generated during manufacturing as process contaminants (e.g. acrylamide or 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD)).

Is your product toxicologically safe and in compliance with all legal requirements?

Being the Centre of Competence for the Analysis of Organic Contaminants within the global Eurofins Group, we offer to examine quite a number of organic contaminants of anthropogenic origin as well as process contaminants, in a great variety of food and feed.

Your Contact for all Inquiries Concerning the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

Our Parameters for the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

Do you need any further information about the analysis of organic contaminants? Please contact us.

Relevant Products

Food

NON-Food

... and many others - just don't hesitate to ask!

Cutting-edge Laboratory Equipment for the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

Our laboratory equipment includes extensive state-of-the-art analytical equipment for the analysis of organic contaminants. As some of our applied methods are partly automatised, we are able to offer short turnaround times to give you a quick assessment of your food and feed samples.
Our laboratory equipment includes the following devices:

Sample preparation

Sample extraction and purification

Analytical devices/Measuring methods

Our Most Important Methods and Reference Procedures for the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

• Determination of acrylamide in food of simple matrices by LC-MS/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-06
• Determination of acrylamide in food of complex matrices by LC-MS/MS after liquid extraction
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of furan in food by headspace-GC
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of furan in foods
  US Food and Drug Administration, 2006-10
• Determination of benzene, toluene and xylene isomers in food
  Official reference method according to § 64 German Food and Feed Law (LFGB) L 00.00-24 (formerly § 35 LMBG), 1993-08
• Determination of benzene in soft drinks, baby food and water by headspace-GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of BTEXs in ethanol
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by SPE GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2009-06
• Determination of pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  Official reference method according to § 64 German Food and Feed Law (LFGB) L 00.00-38/1-4 (formerly § 35 LMBG), 1998-09
• Determination of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons after steam distillation
  Eurofins Method 2004-09
• Determination of volatile halogenated hydrocarbons in food containing < 10% fat
  Eurofins Method 2008-09
• Determination of vinyl chloride by headspace-GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in guar gum and food by acidic extraction and GC/MS-determination
  Eurofins Method 2008-05
• Determination of mineral oil hydrocarbons in oils, fatty foods, molasses and water by GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2008-07
• Determination of chlorobenzene in food and water after steam distillation
  Eurofins Method 2007-04
• Determination of chloro- and bromophenols in food, raw coffee and water after steam distillation
  Eurofins Method 2007-03
• Determination of 2-ethyl hexanoic acid in food and lid coating material
  Eurofins Method 2005-05
• Determination of plasticisers in food, cosmetics, raw products and commodities
  Eurofins Method 2007-06
• Determination of plasticisers
  Eurofins Method 2005-07
• Determination of residues in honey by clevenger distillation followed by GC/MS-analysis
  Eurofins Method 2007-02
• Determination of isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX) in juices and dairy products
  Eurofins Method 2007-05
• Determination of residues of water soluble solvents in food and food additives by headspace-GC/MS, acetone, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol
  Eurofins Method 2007-02
• Determination of residues of water soluble solvents in food and food ingredients by headspace-GC/MS,
  Eurofins Method 2008-06
• Determination of residues of water-insoluble solvents in solid and liquid food and food ingredients by headspace-GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-03
• Determination of volatile organic compounds in solid and liquid food as well as food ingredients by headspace-GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-04
• Determination of 1,4-dioxane by headspace-GC
  Eurofins Method 2005-04
• Determination of methylene chloride and ethyl acetate in raw coffee by headspace GC-MS
  Eurofins Method 2009-07
• Determination of melamine in dry feed and milk powder by GC-MS
  Eurofins Method 2008-09
• Determination of melamine in dry feed and food by GC-MS
  Eurofins Method 2008-10
• Determination of melamine in food by SPE and GC-MS
  Eurofins Method 2009-02
• Determination of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD), 1,3-dichloropropanol and 2,3-dichloro-1-propanol in food
  Eurofins Method 2007-03
• Determination of free 3-MCPD and total 3-MCPD in fats, oils and other foods
  Eurofins Method 2008-05
• Ester-bound 3-chlorpropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD esters) and 3-MCPD forming substances
  DGF C-III 18, 2009
• Performance of screening analysis by headspace-GC/MS
  Eurofins Method 2009-05
• Determination of ethyl carbamate in beer by GC-MS/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-03
• Determination of ethyl carbamate in fish oil
  Eurofins Method 2010-07
• Determination of bixin in spices and food by LC-MS/MS
  Eurofins Method 2008-01
• Determination of illegal dyes in spices and food by LC-MS/MS
  Eurofins Method 2007-06

Proficiency Testing for the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

The Competence Centre for Organic Contaminants regularly checks and verifies its high analytical quality by participating in a number of international proficiency testings of various providers and organisations (e.g. FAPAS, Quasimeme, DGF, IRMM, quo data GmbH, APLAC, FIACC, BfR, LVU, customer specific materials). These are performed for the most important parameters in the appropriate matrices.

R&D Cooperations in the Area of Analysis of Organic Contaminants

• MoniQA: Towards the harmonisation of analytical methods for monitoring quality and safety in the food chain(www.moniqa.org/node/238)
• BIOCOP: New Technologies to Screen Multiple Chemical Contaminants in Foods(www.biocop.org/)

For further information, please contact us.

Publications and Announcements Concerning the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

Eurofins Food Testing Newsletter

Sabrina Ment, Dr. Claudia Schulz and Dr. Susanne Rathjen, Eurofins WEJ Contaminants, Germany (2011): Determination of mineral oil hydrocarbons.
(Eurofins Food Testing Newsletter N° 37 - November 2011).
Sabrina Ment (2011): New maximum levels for PAHs.
(Eurofins Food Testing Newsletter N° 37 - November 2011).
Dr. Claudia Schulz, Dr. Susanne Rathjen and Sabrina Ment, Eurofins WEJ Contaminants GmbH, Germany (2011): New method for direct determination of glycidyl esters using LC-MS.
(Eurofins Food Testing Newsletter N° 37 - November 2011).
in brief (2011)New EU guidance values for acrylamide.
(Eurofins Food Testing Newsletter N° 36 - July 2011).
John Reuter, Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories, USA (2011): Hydrocarbon contaminants in seafoods post-spill.
(Eurofins Food Testing Newsletter Nr. 35 - March 2011).

Eurofins Web News

Neue Mineralölanalytik - New Technique for Mineral Oil Determination (Dezember/2011).
Bestimmung von Glycidylestern - Determination of Glycidyl Esters (November/2011).
PAK4 lösen Benzo[a]pyren als alleinige Leitsubstanz ab - PAH4 Replace Benzo[a]pyrene as Sole Marker Substance (Oktober/2011).

Publications

Guenther H, Hoenicke K, Biesterveld S, Gerhard-Rieben E, Lantz I (2010): Furan in coffee: Pilot studies on formation during roasting and losses during production steps and consumer handling. Food Add. Contam. Part A Chem. Anal. Control Expo. Risk Assess. 27 (3), 283-90.
Lantz I., Ternité R, Wilkens J, Hoenicke K, Guenther H, van der Stegen GH (2006): Studies on acrylamide levels in roasting, storage and brewing of coffee. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 50 (11), 1039-46.
Hoenicke K, Gatermann R (2005): Studies on the stability of acrylamide in food during storage. J. AOAC Int. 88 (1), 268-73.
Wenzl T, de la Calle B, Gatermann R, Hoenicke K, Ulberth F, Anklam E (2004): Evaluation of the results from an inter-laboratory comparison study of the determination of acrylamide in crispbread and butter cookies. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 379(3), 449-57.
Grob K, Biedermann M, Hoenicke K, Gatermann R (2004): Comment on “Soxhlet extraction of acrylamide from potatoe chips” by J.R. Pedersen and J.O. Olsen, Analyst, 2003, 128, 332. Analyst. 129(1), 92.

List of publications organic contaminants

Our Network in the Area of the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

The Competence Centre for Organic Contaminants within the Eurofins-Group holds memberships in numerous Committees and Associations. Due to our constant exchange of knowledge with scientists, growers and producers of major raw materials, food and feed, we are able to provide you with analytical and consulting services based on the latest technologies and scientific expertise.

Our Brochures and Flyers concerning the Analysis of Organic Contaminants

Your Team for the Analysis of Organic Contaminants