Have you ever heard of Superfoods? Do you know Superfoods? Are your products perhaps Superfoods? Superfoods, such as nuts and dried fruits, are very popular among consumers, especially now in the Christmas season. Do you already know how to ensure the safety and quality of your superfoods?

Alternaria toxins are mycotoxins that can occur in food. More than 70 different Alternaria toxins have been identified so far. The best-known Alternaria toxins are alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altertoxins (ALT), tentoxin (TEN) and tenuazonic acid (TeA). The GBA Group has detected Alternaria toxins in samples of peppers, cereals, tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes.

Several hazardous characteristics (carcinogenic, teratogenic, fetotoxic, cytotoxic) have been identified in laboratory studies. An exposure assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found that AOH, AME and TeA exceed the toxicologically relevant limit in food.

Dr. Andreas Nechansky has taken over the role of Managing Director of ABF Pharmaceutical Services (Member of GBAGroup). Dr. Nechansky has proven his management skills as Site Manager of ABF since 2019, and brings over 20 years’ experience in the field of Pharmaceutical Development and biologics characterization.

As VP of Research and Analytical Development of JHL Biotech (Taiwan), he became an expert in biosimilar development spanning pre-clinical work to Phase III readiness, including overseeing and directing bioanalytical and immunogenicity operations. As co-founder and COO of Vela Laboratories, he was responsible for Business Development and GMP-certified analytical operations services.

As with food, Christmas trees in the EU must be labelled to state whether or not pesticides have been used during cultivation.

The GBA Group offers services to ensure that your Christmas trees comply with EU pesticide legislation.

In addition to the DPRA, h-CLAT and LuSens test methods, we now offer the U-SENS™ assay for assessing skin sensitisation potential of chemicals and other products.

The assay comprises investigation of cytotoxicity and a possible increase in expression of the CD 86 cell surface marker after exposure to a potential sensitiser as measured by flow cytometry. The U-SENS™ assay is together with the h-CLAT test method described in the OECD TG 442E, but in contrast to the h-CLAT method, the U-SENS™ assay doesn’t take log Pow of a test substance into consideration for any classification for skin sensitisation.