The Standard – July 2022
Welcome to the July 2022 edition of “The Standard,″ CIL's newsletter for issues related to environmental, food, water, and human exposure testing. World Food Safety Day was commemorated in June 2022, so we are focusing on the importance of monitoring the safety and quality of food and beverage products in research and testing applications. CIL offers a multitude of highly characterized stable isotope-labeled and native standards for food and beverage analysis, including contaminant and impurity standards such as pesticides, PFAS, nitrosamines, bisphenols, and parabens, as well as metabolic biomolecules such as amino acids and vitamins.
New 13C12-6PPD-Quinone Standard for Enhanced Analysis
6PPD-quinone first became of interest in 2020 when a report linked it to causing Coho salmon deaths when exposed to high levels.1 6PPD-quinone is an ozonation byproduct of the rubber tire additive 6PPD, which is widely used to protect rubber tires from wear.
Ethylene Oxide and 2-Chloroethanol in Food
Ethylene oxide (EO) is a gas that has been used as a preservative and fumigant to control insects in the food industry, especially in the storage and transport of grain, seeds, and nuts. EO and one of its main byproducts, 2-chloroethanol, are considered toxic, leading to regulations of allowable exposure limits in foodstuffs and raw materials for foodstuffs.
Potassium Bromate Additive – Potential Carcinogen in Packaged Baked Goods
Potassium bromate is an additive that has been used as a flour improver to strengthen dough, allow it to rise higher and give greater spring, as well as give an even white color when baked. While it may seem to have benefits with creating optimal dough for baking, potassium bromate has been identified as a probable carcinogen.1
FDA to Evaluate and Reconsider Bisphenol A Restrictions in Food Packaging
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be reconsidering the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) use in food packaging and other food-contact materials. The action comes after the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and a coalition of physicians, scientists, public health, and environmental organizations filed a food additive petition in January 2022 asking FDA to revoke its approvals to use BPA in adhesives and coatings, and also set strict limits on BPA use in food packaging.1
US EPA Proposes Ban on Diuron on Food
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released revised human health risk and ecological risk assessments for the herbicide diuron. The 2021 assessments identified cancer risks of concern to humans, as well as risks of concern to birds and mammals, terrestrial plants, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic plants.1