A recent article in ‘Food Quality News’ (https://www.foodqualitynews.com/Article/2017/12/06/Guidance-on-use-of-consumer-analytical-devices) highlights an issue where results on allergens and gluten from portable spectrometers marketed directly to consumers do not match results from standard laboratory methods, conducted by ELISA or PCR. While there is clearly consumer demand for more information about their food, results produced by devices sold to consumers must be correct.
The article points to a special, open access, issue of the Journal of AOAC International on this subject.
AOAC International (www.aoac.org) describes itself on its web site as “a globally recognized, 501(c)(3), independent, third party, not-for-profit association and voluntary consensus standards developing organization founded in 1884. When analytical needs arise within a community or industry, AOAC INTERNATIONAL is the forum for finding appropriate science-based solutions through the development of microbiological and chemical standards. AOAC standards are used globally to promote trade and to facilitate public health and safety.”
The January-February journal issue has a series of papers from around the world on food allergens: (http://aoac.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/aoac/jaoac/2018/00000101/00000001). In particular there is one paper entitled “Stakeholders’ Guidance Document for Consumer Analytical Devices with a Focus on Gluten and Food Allergens” (http://aoac.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/aoac/jaoac/2018/00000101/00000001/art00025). The summary of this paper states, “Stakeholders—including food regulators, food producers, and food testing kit and equipment manufacturers, as well as representatives from consumer advocacy groups—have worked to outline voluntary guidelines for consumer food allergen- and gluten-testing devices. These guidelines cover areas such as kit validation, user sampling instructions, kit performance, and interpretation of results. The recommendations are based on (1) current known technologies, (2) analytical expertise, and (3) standardized AOAC INTERNATIONAL allergen community guidance and best practices on the analysis of food allergens and gluten.”
The paper also has a discussion of analytical sampling of foods, given their typical heterogeneity. This is a concern that Ellen Miseo and I discussed in a recent ‘Photonics Spectra’ article (https://www.photonics.com/a62147/Portable_Spectroscopy_and_the_Fight_Against_Food).
Many thanks to AOAC and its journal for undertaking this work, and making the papers open access.