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Recent news in Food & Feed Analysis

Analytical test kits for ensuring milk-free food production

Which test for what? Conversions according to the food composition

Deoxynivalenol Contamination in Wheat in Europe: Challenges and Solutions for Mycotoxin Testing

As Europe continues to be a global leader in wheat production, ensuring the safety and quality of this staple crop is paramount. One of the most pressing concerns for farmers, food producers, and regulators alike is deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination—a pervasive mycotoxin that threatens both human and animal health. Commonly known as vomitoxin, DON is produced […]

New gluten test kits for a growing gluten free food market

The gluten free market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with a global valuation of $6.45 billion and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8%, according to Grand View Research. This surge is driven by increasing consumer awareness of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, as well as a broader trend toward health-conscious eating. However, as demand […]

Reliable, Efficient, Certified: Achieving AOAC certification with 11+Myco MS-PREP®

What is AOAC PTM certification? AOAC Performance Tested Methods (PTM) certification is a recognised standard that verifies product methods through comprehensive laboratory testing. This certification ensures that methods meet the highest of standards. In the case of R-Biopharm Rhône’s 11+Myco MS-PREP® columns, a single multi-mycotoxin extraction method for multi-mycotoxin analysis of cereals, baby food, spices, […]

Understanding bovine lactoferrin: importance, testing, and the introduction of EASI-BIND® LACTOFERRIN

Bovine lactoferrin is a multi-functional protein found in cow’s milk that plays a crucial role in health and nutrition. This remarkable protein is particularly significant in establishing and maintaining an infant’s immune system, aiding in iron metabolism, and supporting gut health. Lactoferrin’s benefits are not limited to infants; it is increasingly recognised for its potential […]

Ensuring a safe holiday season: Managing allergens and microbiological risks in Christmas foods

Ensuring a safe holiday season: Managing allergens and microbiological risks in Christmas foods The holiday season is a time for celebration, and food plays a central role in bringing people together. From festive dinners to sweet treats, Christmas menus often feature a wide array of ingredients, including some that pose significant health risks for those […]

Exploring methods for multi-mycotoxin analysis

The presence of mycotoxins in food and feed poses a significant health risk, necessitating the need for accurate and reliable testing methods. Laboratories have several options for analysing multi-mycotoxins, each with its own advantages and limitations. The choice of method typically depends on factors such as sensitivity, selectivity, and cost. This article explores the move […]

Ensuring food safety with AFLAOCHRA RHONE® WIDE

In today’s rapidly changing economic landscape, laboratories face increasing pressure to maintain food security while managing costs. Mycotoxins, which are toxic compounds produced by certain moulds, pose a significant threat to global agriculture. They can arise both pre-harvest and during storage, leading to crop losses and impacting food safety. As a result, strict regulations are […]

Microbial spoilage in juices and soft drinks: Detecting key spoilers with GEN-IAL® real time PCR kits

In the beverage industry, particularly in the production of fruit juices and soft drinks, microbial contamination poses considerable challenges to product quality and shelf life. While strict hygiene protocols and pasteurization processes aim to mitigate contamination, certain resilient microorganisms, such as molds, yeasts & bacteria, continue to present issues. Among these, Alicyclobacillus species, yeasts, and […]

Understanding mycotoxins: their impact, importance of testing, and regulatory landscape

In the realm of food and feed safety, mycotoxins represent a significant and ongoing challenge. These naturally occurring toxins, produced by certain moulds, commonly contaminate a variety of agricultural commodities. The most notorious mycotoxins include aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins and zearalenone. These toxins can develop at various stages of crop growth, harvesting, and storage, often […]

Out-of-season increase of norovirus cases

Norovirus facts:￭ Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea￭ Contaminated oysters are a common source of outbreaks￭ Rapid detection is essential to prevent the spread of illness Norovirus remains a significant cause of foodborne illness worldwide, particularly within the food industry, where maintaining safety and quality is paramount. In 2024, there […]

The hidden threat in your coffee: exploring ochratoxin A and fungal diversity

Monitoring and controlling mycotoxins like ochratoxin A (OTA) in food involves not only routine analysis but also identifying the sources of fungal infection. This is crucial for high-value products such as coffee, where OTA can significantly impact market prices for producers. A recent study published by Rodríguez et al. in the journal Postharvest Biology and […]

Celebrating International Beer Day with Quality Assurance

On August 2nd, 2024, brewers and beer enthusiasts around the world will raise their glasses to celebrate International Beer Day. As we toast to this much-loved beverage, it’s important to highlight the importance of maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety in beer production. For brewers and testing laboratories, testing methods, such as qPCR, […]

World Hepatitis Day – Take action and ensure food safety

There are more than two million new cases of hepatitis every year and over a million people lose their lives to hepatitis. As we observe World Hepatitis Day, it’s an important reminder of the crucial role that food safety plays in preventing the spread of hepatitis and other foodborne illnesses. This day, recognized annually on […]

Unlocking the potential of qPCR in wine making for enhanced quality control

In the complex world of wine making, precision and quality control are paramount to delivering exceptional products. Real-time PCR is a great tool for gaining invaluable insights to the microbial status and thus enhancing quality control measures from grape to bottle. Quality assurance in wine makingqPCR has emerged as a supporting tool for quality assurance […]

Elevate your standards, ensure premium quality and savour the confidence in every nut!

In the world of food production, few sectors hold as much significance as the nut industry. With nuts serving as key ingredients in numerous recipes and snacks enjoyed globally, ensuring their safety and quality is paramount. Yet, beneath the surface of seemingly innocuous nuts lies a potential threat: mycotoxins. Mycotoxins pose a considerable risk to […]

Navigating food allergen testing methods

The World Allergy Week provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about food allergies, safety, and testing. In this article, we’ll explore food allergies, recent food recalls due to undeclared allergens, the most common allergens involved, and food testing methods options. Food allergies Food allergies remain a global public health issue. Some food allergies, especially […]

World Food Safety Day 2024: Prioritizing Preparedness for Safer Food

On June 7th, 2024, the world comes together to mark World Food Safety Day, highlighting the critical importance of ensuring food safety across the globe. This year’s theme underscores the necessity of being prepared to tackle food safety incidents swiftly and effectively. It targets to draw attention and motivate action to help prevent, detect and […]

Quality Assurance from Farm to Fork: Test Your Rice, Trust Your Meal!

With the global importance of rice as a staple food, addressing aflatoxin contamination is crucial for ensuring food safety and public health. R-Biopharm Rhône offers a wide range of analytical solutions tailored for the precise analysis of AFTs. Our immunoaffinity clean-up methods ensure high specificity by isolating and concentrating the mycotoxin of interest from the sample. These products exceed Official Method criteria and have undergone rigorous validation in numerous CEN and AOAC collaborative trials, being widely referenced in scientific publications. For more information on how to test for aflatoxins in rice, please contact us.

Edible insects: bite-sized sustainability

In the realm of corporate sustainability in the food industry a distinct trend is emerging – the integration of edible insects. Once considered a novelty or even a taboo, insects are now gaining recognition as a viable and eco-friendly protein source with the potential to revolutionise the way we eat. Why edible insects? With the […]

Keep track of your allergen testing – the RIDA®SMART APP Allergen

The RIDA®SMART App Allergen is your little helper in documenting your food allergen testing results with lateral flow-based tests.

Choose the optimal food allergen test kit for your food allergen testing

Choosing the right food allergen test method for testing food allergens sounds easy. But which allergen testing method to choose? ELISA? Lateral Flow Tests? qPCR? We can offer you different food allergen test methods for most food allergens – but most important is to choose the method that meets your specific requirements. Read here how […]

Get connected with the RIDA®SMART BOX

The new RIDA® SMART BOX connects mycotoxin test results with your quality control data management system. In today’s interconnected world, the ability to integrate data and processes is critical. The RIDA Smart Box goes beyond traditional testing methodologies, offering connectivity features that facilitate real-time data exchange and analysis. The RIDA® SMART BOX integrates the RIDA® […]

Journal publications – a rich source of validated methods for mycotoxins

Historically analytical methods intended to be used for regulatory purposes, so called ‘Official Methods’ were the result of a full interlaboratory collaborative study being undertaken. Such studies have resulted in fourteen AOAC First Action methods for mycotoxins published since 1999 of which the last one ten years ago was for aflatoxins in edible oils (2013.05). […]

Ensuring microbiological stability of wines throughout winter aging

Microbial stability another important parameter to consider. Especially for the wines bottled unfiltered, it is a crucial measurement, in order to e.g. avoid post-fermentation in the bottle as well as off-flavor production. Our new GEN-IAL® QuickGEN PCR Kit Yeast universal is ideal as quality check before bottling.  Ensuring microbiological stability of wines throughout winter aging Young red […]

Unveiling the power of FUMONIPREP®: Unlocking your solution to accurate fumonisin detection

Detecting and mitigating mycotoxins like fumonisins have emerged as pivotal concerns in ensuring food and feed safety. The increased focus on fumonisin testing stems from various critical factors – Health concerns: Fumonisins have been associated with severe health issues in both humans and animals. These toxins, when ingested through contaminated food or feed, can lead […]

The wine cellar in winter – What is happening during the coldest months of the year?

While in the vineyards, the winter pruning is ongoing, in the cellars the fermentation processes are slowing down or are coming to an end. The young wines either remain on the lees (yeast) for a while or are moved to new tanks or wooden barrels.   Some white wines are already prepared for bottling. Before bottling, […]

Is PCR relevant for gluten testing?

Well, ELISA RIDASCREEN® Gliadin is the reference method as it detects directly the gluten proteins. Why should you be using PCR? Table 1 Overview of qPCR kits and their application fields R-Biopharm – your expert when it comes to gluten analysis R-Biopharm is the world market leader in gluten testing; we provide the widest range […]

A Sustainable Christmas Feast: Delicious, Eco-Friendly, and Heartwarming

As we gather with loved ones to celebrate Christmas, there’s an opportunity to not only indulge in delicious food but also to make choices that are kind to the planet. In this Christmas food blog, we’ll explore the concept of a sustainable Christmas feast. From locally sourced ingredients to eco-friendly cooking methods and mindful consumption, […]

Unmasking hidden threats: Current trends in mycotoxin analysis in food and feed

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxic compounds produced by moulds that can contaminate a wide range of agricultural products, including cereals, nuts and animal feeds. These invisible threats pose a significant risk to both human and animal health, making accurate mycotoxin analysis in food and feed a critical component of food safety and quality assurance. In […]

The increasing trend towards plant-based products and their composition

The growing demand for plant-based products for vegan or vegetarian consumers is also a major challenge for food manufacturers. Many manufacturers have expanded their product line to include new plant-based products that replicate burgers and other meat dishes with plant-based ingredients, deceptively imitating the taste and texture of meat. Products range from plant-based burgers to […]

R-Biopharm Rhône: an IIP Platinum company

R-Biopharm Rhône is a leading developer of test solutions for food and feed analysis and has been a trusted partner in the industry for over 35 years. As a company, we do everything we can to ensure our staff feel valued and supported. We take pride in being among the 5 % of the companies […]

Celebrating World Food Day: “Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind!”

On this World Food Day, we unite under the theme “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind” to emphasize the crucial relationship between water and food. The quality of water directly impacts the quality of our food, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure its safety throughout the supply chain, from […]

Latin America’s First ISO 17025:2017 Accredited Laboratory Pioneers Cannabis Analysis for Food Pathogens

In a groundbreaking achievement for the cannabis industry in Latin America, the Laboratorio Instrumental de Alta Complejidad from Lasalle University in Colombia (https://laboratoriodeanalisis.lasalle.edu.co/) has attained ISO 17025:2017 accreditation (21-LAB-030), marking a significant milestone in the field of cannabis analysis, particularly concerning food pathogens. This accreditation underscores the laboratory’s commitment to ensuring the safety and quality […]

Increasing use of multi-mycotoxin methods for routine analysis

The constant surveillance of food safety is becoming more and more critical as it affects human and animal health. During the last decade, considerable attention has been drawn to mycotoxins, secondary metabolites produced by fungi. These toxins are present in food and feed and are responsible for carcinogenic effects and various diseases. Therefore, testing for […]

A closer look at the mycotoxin rollercoaster ride of Europe’s 2023 harvest season

The 2023 European wheat and barley harvest has captured attention due to its intricate interplay with weather conditions. This year’s season was more than exciting, presenting a blend of opportunities and obstacles for farmers and agricultural stakeholders. From the promising start with minimal Fusarium contamination risk during flowering to the unexpected challenge of mold contamination […]

Non-alcoholic wine: what is its actual alcohol content?

Whether non-alcoholic beers, sparkling wines or even wines: Drinks without alcohol are becoming increasingly popular. But how much alcohol is actually still in wine that is declared alcohol-free? And how is it ensured that the product meets the legal requirements? In recent years, the range of the range of non-alcoholic wine alternatives has grown strongly […]

Vitamins in health supplements

Vitamins are organic molecules important for human growth and health. Specifically, the human body requires 13 vitamins to stay healthy, each with a different biochemical function. Vitamins are divided into two groups, based on the way they break down once ingested. Water-soluble vitamins are not easily stored as they break down quickly upon ingestion. Fat-soluble […]

Ochratoxin in wine

If grapes are attacked by molds, the mold toxin ochratoxin can form. You can find out which products are particularly at risk and how to protect wines here. Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin formed by molds of the Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. The mold toxin is highly harmful to human and animal health even in […]

Beer spoilage organisms: these are the microorganisms you should monitor in your brewery

Whether Pilsner, lager, Hefeweizen, Altbier or the countless craft beer variations: The selection of beer styles is huge and the range continues to grow. However, the microorganisms that get into the beer during the brewing process and can lead to spoilage are just as diverse as the beer styles. They impair the taste and odor […]

Alternative proteins in the vegan diet

Whether vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian: more and more people are reducing their meat consumption or doing without animal foods completely. In order to meet the protein requirement even without animal products, various alternative protein sources are available. Alternative proteins are considered sustainable, healthy and better for the environment and animal welfare. There are numerous protein-rich […]

Inadequate sampling – a major source of inaccurate mycotoxin data

The importance of following a well-developed sampling plan, prior to mycotoxin analysis of food and feed is well recognised. It is accepted that regardless of the effort that goes into ensuring the accuracy of a mycotoxin test, the result is only as good as the sample that has been taken. Mycotoxins, in particular aflatoxins, are […]

If you have legionella in your facility, this is what you need to know

Water is essential for life – but also a frequent source of bacterial infections. If Legionella bacteria grow in the water pipes, it can lead to serious diseases. This article answers the most important questions on the subject of Legionella. How dangerous are Legionella bacteria? Legionella is a genus of waterborne, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that […]

Lupins: A new food allergen

Many people know lupins rather as an ornamental garden plant with colourful blossoms. However, for some years now, the plant has also been increasingly used for food production. Since then, allergies to lupins have become more common. Lupins belong to the family of legumes and are related to peanuts, lentils, peas and soybeans. In recent […]

Ochratoxin A in coffee: Ensure compliance with new legislative levels

Coffee production Coffee comes from Coffea, a tree which belongs to the Rubiaceae family, with the largest diversity found in humid environments. Different varieties of coffee, require different environments for the plant to grow. In general, coffee grows from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer. Higher altitudes produce coffee beans with a […]

Dairy analysis: Making the most of enzymatic testing

From yogurt to butter and cheese, milk and dairy products are an essential part of many people’s diets. Regular testing is essential to ensure the high quality of these products. Enzymatic analyses play an important role in this. Enzymatic tests can be used in the manufacturing process and in quality assurance to measure various important […]

Combating antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics have become an indispensable tool in medicine, treating numerous infectious diseases effectively and safely. However, researchers warn that this could change as a result of increasing resistance. Antibiotic resistance is on the rise worldwide. Experts see this as one of the greatest health risks for the human population. If pathogens become resistant to antibiotics, […]

Is climate change leading to increased levels of mycotoxins?

Mycotoxins are a major problem in agriculture, with grains being particularly affected. The extent to which molds and thus mycotoxins form in grains depends largely on the climatic conditions during the flowering period. So what impact does climate change have on this? The prevalence of mycotoxins in grains globally varies from year to year. In […]