United Kingdom-based Fapas has introduced a set of new proficiency tests fish and shellfish in an effort to help protect consumers and the seafood industry from contamination risks, it announced in late November.
The tests target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in shellfish and perfluoroalkylated substances (PFASs) in sea fish, according to Fapas, which is the proficiency testing arm of Fera – a private and public sector joint venture innovating and developing translational science to enhance food, plant, animal, and environmental quality.
A combustion byproduct, PAHs enter water systems through rain. Bivalve mollusks growing in contaminated water then accumulate the PAHs, meaning that smoked seafood products and shellfish products may contain higher than desired levels of the contaminant, said Fapas.
Meanwhile, PFASs originate from a range of synthetic chemical compounds which are used across many industries when waterproofing, grease-proofing, and repelling industrial stains. “They are very persistent in the environment, which allows them to accumulate in the food chain, particularly in fish,” Fapas explained.
The company’s new proficiency tests provide laboratories with an independent assessment of the level of PAHs and PFASs in specific foods, including seafood. These latest tests are part of a new range developed by Fapas, an ISO 17043 accredited PT provider, which will be available until the end of March 2020.
“As seafood plays a large role within global protein intake, the global supply chain is under considerable stress – which can potentially lead to poor supply chain practices and increased risk to consumer health,” said Mark Sykes, scientific advisor of proficiency testing for Fapas. “The development of new proficiency tests for PAHs in shellfish and PFASs in sea fish demonstrate our commitment to supporting the seafood industry in ensuring that regulatory standards are consistently met and that unacceptable levels of contaminants are not present in the products being sold to consumers.”
“We have listened to customers and industry alike and as a result we are increasing the number of types of tests we offer and providing new tools that will enable our customers to chart and analyse their results to identify any trends. All of which we hope will support our customers in demonstrating their analytical excellence to their clients and accreditation bodies,” added Sarah Hasnip, Head of Fapas at Fera.
Fapas provides proficiency testing solutions for nearly 30 years across 120 countries. The company’s tests allow laboratories to gain and maintain ISO 17025 accreditation, it said.
Fera, the UK National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for PAHs, is responsible for setting up standards for routine procedures and reliable testing methods in a number of areas of feed and food across the European Union. The enterprise is part of a network of NRLs co-ordinated by the European Union Reference Laboratories (EU-RLs), and calls upon “the skills and capabilities of 300 scientists at the National Agri-food Innovation Campus near York to bring specialist expertise to the seafood industry’s challenges,” according to Fapas.
Image courtesy of Fapas
