EFS12- Book of abstracts - Contact

SESSION 2: SECONDARY METABOLITES – BIOCHEMISTRY,
BIOSYNTHESIS, FEED AND FOOD SAFETY
P37 - Validation of an ELISA for the determination of
fumonisin in maize samples for human consumption
R. De Pace, C. Franchino, R. Damiano, M. Marino, V. Vita.
Department of Chemistry, Experimental Zooprophylaxis Institute (IZS) of Puglia and Basilicata, Via
Manfredonia 20, 71100, Italy
E-mail: r.depace@libero.it
The fumonisins are mycotoxins that mainly contaminate maize and its products.
The enforcement of the recently established legal limit for fumonisins at the
European Community level, as set out in Regulation CE/1126/2007, and the high
incidence of contamination by these toxins of such a common grain crop as
maize, have made the problem of the fumonisins even more immediate. The
establishment of these maximum permissible fumonisin limits is thus justified both
for health reasons and due to the need to provide the supervisory authorities and
food companies with a precise normative reference. Following the indications of
the European organisations relating to the analytical quality and reliability of data,
it has become necessary to have a validated method for use in official monitoring
that is both fast and reliable. The objective of this report is to provide the results of
our study of a validation process for the fumonisins in maize used for human
consumption that uses an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in
agreement with European Community Decision 2002/657/EC. Based on the
results obtained, the analytical method defined in our study achieves the required
aim and represents a further tool that is now available to all operators in the
sector of risk assessment. The applicability of this method was verified by
performing tests on official samples obtained through the competent bodies.
While this remains within the limits of a small case study, we can confirm that this
monitoring system is effective, and that the levels of contamination found in the
samples analysed do not raise concerns for health and hygiene at present.
However, there remains the need to ensure continuity in the quality and quantity
of the necessary actions for the protection of consumers from possible
contamination by the fumonisins.
Keywords: fumonisins, validation, analytical methods, exposure monitoring
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