http://gerwinmeijer.nl/publications/kanenmeijer.pdf

The risk of contamination of food with toxic substances present in animal feed

Veterinary drug residues in meat: Concerns and rapid methods for detection.

Beta-agonist compounds can be misused in food-producing animals for growth promoting purposes. Efficient methods based on mass spectrometry detection have been developed to ensure the control of such veterinary drug residues. Nevertheless, the use of "cocktails" composed of mixtures of low amounts of several substances as well as the synthesis of new compounds of unknown structure prevent efficient prevention. To circumvent those problems, new analytical tools able to detect such abuse are today mandatory. In this context, metabolomics may represent a new emerging strategy for investigating the global physiological effects associated to a family of substances and therefore, to suspect the administration of beta-agonists (either "cocktails" or unknown compounds). As a first demonstration of feasibility, an untargeted metabolomic approach based on liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry measurements was developed and made it possible to highlight metabolic modifications in urine consecutively to a clenbuterol administration. By the means of chemometrics, those metabolic differences were used to build predictive models able to suspect clenbuterol administration in calves. This new approach may be considered of valuable interest to overcome current limitations in the control of growth promoters' abuse, with promising perspectives in terms of screening.

Development of a metabolomic approach based on liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry to screen for clenbuterol abuse in calves.

The use of β-agonists as growth promoters in cattle breeding is forbidden in many countries for reasons of fair trade and consumer protection. In recent years the use of liquid chromatography (LC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has been shown to be the method of choice for the control of β-agonists. In this study an LC-MS/MS multiresidue analysis method is presented for trace analysis of 22 β-agonists. A truly generic concept has been designed based on mixed-mode solid-phase extraction and positive electrospray ionisation LC-MS/MS operated in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. This method allows application to a wide variety of sample matrices such as urine, feed and hair, following minor modifications to the analysis procedure only. The method features fit-for-purpose sensitivity in urine as shown by CCα and CCβ values of less than 0.2 and less than 0.5 μg/l respectively, for all β-agonists studied (terbutaline and reproterol, less than 0.3 and less than 1.0 respectively). Similar but semiquantitative application to feed and hair showed CCβ values of less than 10.0 and less than 5.0 μg/kg, respectively. A further simplification and improvement is demonstrated using Ultra Performance LC (UPLC™) and fast-switching MS/MS. The successful validation of this method following the latest EU requirements and its application to real samples demonstrate that a new versatile tool has been achieved for veterinary control of β-agonists.

Multiresidue analysis of beta-agonists in bovine and porcine urine, feed and hair using liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

/pdf/update-on-drugs-prohibited-from-extralabel-use-in-food-5am49jcrld.pdf

Update on drugs prohibited from extralabel use in food animals

This paper describes the occurrence of four cases of acute food poisoning, involving a total of 50 people, due to the ingestion of lamb and bovine meat containing residues of clenbuterol. Symptoms shown by the intoxicated people may be generally described as gross tremors of the extremities, tachycardia, nausea, headaches and dizziness. Analytical methodology developed for the determination of clenbuterol in meat, liver and blood samples is described. Procedures are described which should be followed when the described symptoms are evident in a group of people who have ingested contaminated meat, and particularly liver of ruminants.

Food poisoning by clenbuterol in Portugal.

Identification of a probable new adrenergic agonist by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry.

Bone fragments are essential structures for the detection of processed animal proteins (PAPs) in feed by light microscopy for official controls according to Annex VI of European Union Regulation EC/152/2009. The preparation of samples submitted for analysis requires a grinding step to make them suitable for microscopic slide preparation and observation. However, there are no technical guidelines set down for this step despite the fact that it can lead to an increase in bone numbers due to fragmentation. This was demonstrated by an in-house study carried out by the Irish National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for animal protein detection. The present collaborative study investigated the possible effects of three different grinding conditions on the final result for a feed adulterated with 0.05 and 0.01% (w/w) of PAP. The microscopic analysis either combined or not with an Alizarin Red staining was carried out by 10 different laboratories. The results demonstrated that although a large variation in the numbers of bone fragments was noted, five of the six different grinding/staining combinations applied at two levels of PAP adulteration did not significantly (at p = 0.05) differ from one another. The only exception occurred when grinding the feed containing 0.05% of PAP with a rotor mill equipped with a 0.5-mm sieve and combined with a staining which resulted in a greater number of bone fragments by forced fragmentation. Overall, the impact of the grinding/staining combinations on the final results was shown to be negligible when considering the regulatory limit of detection (LOD) requirement for the method and the current rules of implementation of the light microscopic method. From a total of 180 analyses carried out on the feed matrix containing 0.05% of PAP no false-negative result was observed, and at a level of 0.01% PAP only 10 false-negative results occurred.

Clara Cruz

Papers

Food poisoning by clenbuterol in Portugal.

Identification of a probable new adrenergic agonist by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry.

Collaborative study on the effect of grinding on the detection of bones from processed animal proteins in feed by light microscopy