Read time: 4 Minutes The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need to store and transport raw and finished food products in order to sustain the richness of the food supply chain. Therefore, having a robust post-harvest support system that monitors moisture levels and...
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Mycotoxin concerns amidst a pandemic: a discussion on how to optimize your food safety analysis
Read time: 4 Minutes The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need to store and transport raw and finished food products in order to sustain the richness of the food supply chain. Therefore, having a robust post-harvest support system that monitors moisture levels and...
The honey sting
As a consumer it’s hard for me not to feel inundated with claims that our food is “all-natural” or “chemical-free” or that we should buy certain “superfoods” for their health benefits. We read labels and trust that the product we are buying is what we are truly...
Accurate mass LC-MS/MS for PFAS analysis without needing a blockbuster budget
If you’ve been following our recent blogs, you’ve probably seen quite a bit on how per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are shaking up both the food and environmental industry. Even if you’ve not been following our blogs, you’ve probably seen a lot of media...
A rising star in food allergen research: proteomics of shellfish allergen
It’s important to know what you’re eating, especially if you suffer from a food allergy.
About 220 million people worldwide live with a food allergy.1 These numbers, along with the complexity and severity of conditions, continue to rise. In America, there are about 32 million food allergy sufferers—5.6 million of those are children under the age of 18.2.2 That’s 1 out of every 13 children, or about 2 in every classroom. From a financial perspective, the cost of food allergy childcare for US families is up to $25 billion
Routine cannabis screening is here. Will your lab reap the benefits?
Fast, accurate, and robust solution for routine commercial cannabis testing
As the world debates cannabis legalization for therapeutic applications and recreational use, the trends are shifting. Medicinal use of cannabis is legal in an increasing number of countries worldwide, including 33 states and the District of Columbia in the United States. Uruguay was the first country in the world to legalize the sale, cultivation, and distribution of cannabis in 2013. In the United States, Washington and Colorado were the first to fully legalize cannabis in 2012. By the end of 2019, 10 states have legalized recreational use for adults over the age of 21, with 64% of Americans favoring the move
Hemp, marijuana, CBD and THC: what’s the difference?
Cannabis refers to a genus of flowering plants originating from Asia.1 It's also an umbrella term that includes both marijuana plants and hemp plants, among others. With the flurry of legalization across the United States, CBD and THC derived products have been thrown...
Mysterious Vaping Detectives Part 2
In our last blog, I gave you some current highlights about the mysterious vaping illness that was making headlines (and still is). The condition now known as, e-cigarette or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) has sickened thousands and killed 57...
A year of cannabis in Canada. Where are we and what’s next?
It’s been a momentous year for the cannabis industry in Canada. Not only did the country legalize cannabis with the Canadian cannabis law in October 2018, but it has also taken a giant leap in setting up a multi-billion dollar market from scratch. The progress made...
Your 3 most googled queries about cannabis testing answered
I did some digging on Google and decided to help answer the top 3 most searched queries about cannabis testing methods and technology, for both marijuana and hemp. 1. What equipment should I use to test my cannabis and hemp samples for mycotoxins,...
Boar taint isn’t so simple
The title says it all. Boar taint is a complex subject. For some, it’s not an issue. Others argue that it’s one of the biggest challenges to pork quality. It’s a very subjective response. In her blog, Dr. Laura Hancox illustrates the striking difference between the...
A beginner’s instrumentation guide to cannabis analysis
One question I get asked a lot when it comes to cannabis, specifically regarding marijuana and hemp analysis, is: There are so many techniques to choose from, how do I know which one is best? I can’t emphasize enough that the Cannabis sativa plant has a complex...
Journey to the Center of the Vape – Part 1
The safety of vaping has recently become a topic of concern. The public wants answers about the safety of these products. Health authorities are scrambling to find the cause of the mysterious vaping illness that has been seen in hundreds of cases across the U.S., and...
Top 5 Analytical Challenges for Pesticides in Cannabis
Now that cannabis is legalized in a majority of the United States and Canada, new regulations to help protect consumers lead us to an important question: What are they getting? Here, we'll help provide the answer. Image source: Shayanne Gal/Business Insider Some of...
To Switch or Not to Switch? That is the Question.
Why Polarity Switching Matters The BasicsIn today’s busy analytical laboratories, productivity and high sample throughput are constant demands. More samples need to be analyzed in a shorter timeframe. Laboratories must work to use equipment at its maximum capacity,...
Same Pesticides, Same Risks, Different Standards
Should we be worried about our health because our produce contains pesticides? The answer very much depends on where in the world you live–or where your food comes from. When it comes to protecting people from harmful pesticide residues in food, standards around the...
“There’s Nothing Wrong with a Little Bit of Mold.” WRONG!
Has anyone ever said to you, “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of mold”? No one likes to waste food, and it’s not unusual for people to scrape or pick mold off of foods before eating! Believe it or not, there’s guidance on foods that are (and are not) safe to eat if...
Bad Leftovers: Antibiotic Residues in Food
We know that antibiotics used to treat livestock can end up in the food we eat. Routine food testing labs are essential for detecting compounds, like these, that can be dangerous to our health. Antibiotic residues include both parent molecules and metabolites left...
Canada’s Focus on Cannabis Quality and Safety Intensifies
The Second in a Three-Part Series Welcome to the second in a series of blogs from the cannabis team at SCIEX, designed to bring you up to speed and put you in the lead of the recently legalized cannabis market in Canada. In the first blog, we introduced the Cannabis...
Trailblazers: Oscar Cabrices on Food Testing Trends to Watch for in the Americas
With the rapid shift in diet consciousness and environmental concerns, and the emergence of new technology, it’s a new food world. As a result, food testers are beginning to have a greater need for rigorous food testing techniques to ensure food safety and quality....
Food Testing Labs: What Technology Is Right for You?
Consumer safety is the driving force behind food analysis. From field (or ocean) to fork, there are numerous opportunities for food to become potentially hazardous to human health. As fast as new contaminants enter the food chain, changes in regulation and legislation...
Global Trends That Will Affect Neonicotinoid Usage in 2019
Neonicotinoids have become the most widely used class of insecticide in the world, with registration in 120 countries. However, these pesticides have become embroiled in multi-year controversy in Europe and North America due to their risk to beneficial...
Phthalates: The Everywhere Chemical That’s Hard to See, Not Anymore with LC-MS/MS
A few months back, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a technical report on the use of chemicals in food processing and the negative health effects on children. One of the main culprits is phthalates. The 411 of PhthalatesPhthalates are esters of phthalic...
The Technology Behind Safe, Legal Cannabis
The Third in a Three-Part Series Part 1: Cannabis is Legal in Canada - How Did We Get Here? Part 2: Canada's Focus on Cannabis Quality and Safety Intensifies Welcome to the third in a series of blogs from the cannabis team at SCIEX, designed to bring you up to speed...
Cannabis is Legal in Canada – How Did We Get Here?
The First in a Three-Part Series Welcome to the first in a series of blogs from the cannabis team at SCIEX, designed to bring you up to speed and put you in the lead of the recently legalized cannabis market in Canada. The Canadian cannabis market has taken the plunge...
3 Dicamba Analysis Questions You Need to Ask Yourself Today
We blinked and the last two years went in a flash. It seems like just yesterday, the Dicamba herbicide controversy hit the headlines in 2016 and the EPA set the regulations to expire in two years. Fast forward to today. Dicamba is an acid herbicide used to kill...
Don’t Be a Food Scandal Scapegoat. Fight Back with LC-MS/MS for Your Meat Authenticity Testing
The infamous horsemeat scandal of 2013 shined a spotlight on the questionable integrity of our meat supply. What followed was a lengthy investigation as the extent of the scandal unraveled before our eyes, reaching far beyond the European borders...
Now You Can Overcome Your Food and Environmental Testing Obstacles
How do you safeguard human health and protect your reputation through meeting stringent global food and environmental safety standards? When it comes to testing food and environmental samples, the quality of your testing data is vital to your business. You need fast...
It’s Time to Stop Fraudulent Food Reaching the Consumer with LC-MS/MS
If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you are fully acquainted with food fraud, but let’s just take a moment to set the scene. Food fraud is by no means a new phenomenon and goes as far back as the middle ages, with the concept of tampering or...
Why You Need Mass Spec for Veterinary Drug Residue and Antibiotic Analysis
As hospitals struggle with increasingly hard-to-treat antimicrobial resistance (ARM) bacterial infections, related deaths now exceed 700,000 per year globally and are predicted to reach 10 million per year by 2050. There’s no denying that these statistics are both...
Simplifying Polar Pesticides Within a Single Analysis
Glyphosate is a polar pesticide widely used as a garden herbicide. It is an ingredient in the world’s bestselling weed killer, which farmers consider one of their best solutions to their super weed problems. However, the chemical has become one of the most...