Range of analysis in the food industry

Microorganisms and food have a lot to do with each other. On the one hand, microorganisms are indispensable for the production of cheese, yoghurt and beer. On the other hand, bacterial contamination of foods when consumed can lead to serious illnesses. Thus, high demands are placed on the quality and safety of food.

Pesticides and veterinary pharmaceuticals are substances that are utilized before or during the production or storage of food products. Their residues can sometimes remain in the final products in permitted amounts; however, lawmakers have specified a wide range of specific maximum residue levels.

The range of potential contaminants is extremely diverse: naturally occurring contaminants, environmental contaminants and process contaminants all pose great challenges to the food industry. Companies have to observe a great abundance of legal regulations as well as the general rule of minimization in cases of substances that are not yet specifically regulated.

Molds are responsible for a group of contaminants that have been known for a long time yet are extremely undesirable: mycotoxins. Some of them are known to be highly carcinogenic. Since the molds are living cultures that first originate from individual spores, when the cultures grow, nests are formed that produce mycotoxins in the product randomly.

One of the hallmark elements that is regulated by food law is the declaration of nutritional content. This not only includes the “big seven” but also vitamins and minerals in certain cases. It is also very important for the food industry to determine the nutritional components if companies want to advertise based on the content specific individual groups, such as fiber for example.

Using DNA testing, the GBA Group also offers the analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as well as the determination of animal species. The latter is becoming increasingly important because of authenticity checks and in order to uncover food fraud.

If you want to know about real potential dangers that can arise from food products, allergens are front and center. With the obligation to label allergens, producers and retailers are also responsible for ensuring that even the unintentional presence of allergens is either ruled out or labelled appropriately.

But which allergens are subject to mandatory labeling and which allergens are actually present in the company? So that you know what you are talking about, we first check your inventory. Then it's a matter of defining the recipes.

Some parameters are only necessary for specific products or for answering specific questions. Examples of these include polyphenols in tea, piperine in pepper, or coumarin in cinnamon. Hemp products are a current example of a product group that raises difficult issues.