New product development of testing standards for the food industry

Chemical additives, such as phthalates a plasticiser and vividly coloured azo dyes, are used in packaging products. Both compounds have been identified as of concern in food contact materials. This investigation developed analytical methods to validate and detect nine phthalates, 23 azo dyes and breakdown products with defined accuracy values. Oils such as krill and rapeseed are increasingly used in food products, creating a need for an expanded panel of fatty acid standards. Using microalgae as a sustainable source, large-scale culture biomasses were generated. Optimised lipid and fatty acid yields were achieved using conventional solvent and supercritical CO2 extraction methods, creating six types of biofuel/feed reference fatty acid standards. Stability testing was undertaken to ensure the reference standards would withstand temperature extremes during transportation and storage.