Online presentations by GBA Group at the Mini - Symposium for Food Safety from 10-11 September 2020.

The GLi - Gemeinnützige Lebensmittelinitiative für Österreich together with Hygienicum® GmbH - Institut für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Hygiene invites you to the digital event. You can look forward to interesting presentations by GBA Group experts Michael Stelzl (Hygienicum® GmbH) and Thomas Unger (nuTIQ), among others, in digital format.

The maximum residue levels for chlorpyriphos and chlorpyriphos-methyl will soon be lowered to the analytical limit of quantification, 0.01 mg/kg, because their approval was withdrawn.

With the publication of the Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/1085 on July 23rd, 2020, this maximum residue level (MRL) will now be incorporated into the pesticide Regulation (EC) 396/2005.

This MRL enters into force on November 13th, 2020!

The German Fruit & Vegetable Congress will take place on 21. and 22.09.2020 at the Congress Center Düsseldorf. Due to Corona, the 10th event in this series will be held in a slightly different format. Nevertheless, the GBA Group, as a long-standing sponsoring partner, will again be there this year, presenting our services throughout the entire food supply chain. Further information on the DOGK will follow shortly.

Since 28 June 2020, Regulation (EU) 2020/749 on new maximum levels for chlorate residues in food has come into effect and applies also retroactively to products manufactured or imported into the EU before that date.

Chlorates were formerly used as crop protection agents (total herbicides). For some time now, however, chlorates have not been allowed to be used as pesticides across the EU. Despite this ban, chlorate residues are frequently found in food. The reasons for these findings can be very different.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are secondary plant materials that are mainly formed by certain plants, e.g. Senecio jacobaea, and serve to protect against predators. What protects one may harm another. Thus, certain PA's can damage the liver and should therefore be minimized according to the ALARA principle. A correspondingly increased risk exists, for example, with products such as tea, herbs, spices and food supplements, especially their herbal raw materials.

Tropane alkaloids and ergot alkaloids should also be monitored for the above-mentioned products.