EFS12- Book of abstracts - Contact
EFS12- Book of abstracts - Contact
EFS12- Book of abstracts - Contact
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SESSION 2: SECONDARY METABOLITES – BIOCHEMISTRY,<br />
BIOSYNTHESIS, FEED AND FOOD SAFETY<br />
P37 - Validation <strong>of</strong> an ELISA for the determination <strong>of</strong><br />
fumonisin in maize samples for human consumption<br />
R. De Pace, C. Franchino, R. Damiano, M. Marino, V. Vita.<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Chemistry, Experimental Zooprophylaxis Institute (IZS) <strong>of</strong> Puglia and Basilicata, Via<br />
Manfredonia 20, 71100, Italy<br />
E-mail: r.depace@libero.it<br />
The fumonisins are mycotoxins that mainly contaminate maize and its products.<br />
The enforcement <strong>of</strong> the recently established legal limit for fumonisins at the<br />
European Community level, as set out in Regulation CE/1126/2007, and the high<br />
incidence <strong>of</strong> contamination by these toxins <strong>of</strong> such a common grain crop as<br />
maize, have made the problem <strong>of</strong> the fumonisins even more immediate. The<br />
establishment <strong>of</strong> these maximum permissible fumonisin limits is thus justified both<br />
for health reasons and due to the need to provide the supervisory authorities and<br />
food companies with a precise normative reference. Following the indications <strong>of</strong><br />
the European organisations relating to the analytical quality and reliability <strong>of</strong> data,<br />
it has become necessary to have a validated method for use in <strong>of</strong>ficial monitoring<br />
that is both fast and reliable. The objective <strong>of</strong> this report is to provide the results <strong>of</strong><br />
our study <strong>of</strong> a validation process for the fumonisins in maize used for human<br />
consumption that uses an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), in<br />
agreement with European Community Decision 2002/657/EC. Based on the<br />
results obtained, the analytical method defined in our study achieves the required<br />
aim and represents a further tool that is now available to all operators in the<br />
sector <strong>of</strong> risk assessment. The applicability <strong>of</strong> this method was verified by<br />
performing tests on <strong>of</strong>ficial samples obtained through the competent bodies.<br />
While this remains within the limits <strong>of</strong> a small case study, we can confirm that this<br />
monitoring system is effective, and that the levels <strong>of</strong> contamination found in the<br />
samples analysed do not raise concerns for health and hygiene at present.<br />
However, there remains the need to ensure continuity in the quality and quantity<br />
<strong>of</strong> the necessary actions for the protection <strong>of</strong> consumers from possible<br />
contamination by the fumonisins.<br />
Keywords: fumonisins, validation, analytical methods, exposure monitoring<br />
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