Food Chemistry
Risks associated with chemical constituents and allergens in food are global concerns, garnering more attention as national governments, international non-governmental agencies and food supply chain companies seek answers from scientists about the toxicological potential of a growing array of naturally occurring and industrial chemicals in food and water. In addition, the allergenicity of certain foods and the challenges posed by the cleanup and removal of allergen-containing ingredients to prevent cross-contamination in the food processing environment remain a significant concern to industry.
Through the Food Chemistry science focus area, IFSH scientists investigate the effects of food processing on the formation of hazardous contaminants in order to better understand how to prevent, reduce or eliminate them in the food processing environment, as well as how to mitigate the cross-transfer of preformed natural toxins and allergens in foods. IFSH also offers food industry members a strong chemical composition program for identifying and validating constituents that provide value-added nutritional health promoting benefits to their finished products.
Mission | Capabilities
IFSH’s Food Chemistry science programs generate knowledge used by industry and regulators to make proactive science-based decisions that influence food safety, quality and public health. When working with IFSH, industry members get the latest scientific expertise and research data in the following focus areas:
- Effects of processing on chemical constituents and beneficial bioactives in foods
- Detection and decontamination methods for food defense and chemical threat agents
- Validation of procedures to prevent food allergen cross-contact
- Effects of processing on preformed natural toxins and food allergens
IFSH offers a comprehensive food chemistry research program to assist food industry members in assuring the safety and quality of their products, and provides regulators with science-based data to help inform related guidance and policy making.
IFSH’s assets and capabilities include:
- In-depth understanding of the formation and effects of processing on a variety of chemical constituents, from furan and melamine to ricin and other protein toxins
- Real-world collaborative projects on allergen risk analysis and the effects of food processing on food allergens
- Cutting-edge analytical capabilities, including LC-MS, GC-MS, UPLC, and immunochemical and rheological methods
- State-of-the-art research facilities, including fully equipped chemistry laboratories, a nutrition and biochemistry laboratory and a BSL-3 laboaratory and biocontainment pilot plant for chemical threat agent research
