The Regulation (EC) n°1881/2006 and following modifications, which establishes the maximum limits allowed for some types of contaminants in food products, has been modified by the Regulation (EU) n°835/2011. The changes are related to the criteria of evaluation of the maximum limits of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) establishes that the benzo–a-pyrene is not a suitable marker to evaluate the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods therefore it has been noticed a system composed by 4 PAH in compliance with the purpose: benzo-a-pyrene, benzo-a-anthracene, benzo-b-fluoranthene, chrysene. Chelab laboratories provided a method for the determination of PAH in the 4 substances indicated by EFSA as suitable markers for the evaluation of the contamination level of the food in question.

Chelab performs a genetic identification of tinned tunas and mackerels by PCR and Sequencing technique.

On the 26th of March it has been published the Regulation 297/2011 which imposes special conditions as regards the import of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station.

The European commission has recently authorized the cultivation of GMO potatoes produced by BASF for industrial aim and for the production of feed. Chelab is able to offer to its costumers a qualitative screening for the determination of genetically modified potatoes.

Later on the alerts published by RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) in the last months about cereals and food bakery products, Chelab laboratory has planned the analysis for the qualitative determination of the variety of the genetically modified flax CDC Triffid (FP967) in foodstuffs and feedstuffs.

Since ten years Chelab, suggests a complete series of tests, with a PCR real time technique, for the genetically modified organism research. The most common types of Maize and Soya GM are researched and quantified and recently new methods have been developed for the research of other transgenic mutations such as the rape and rice.

Considering the serious and widespread cases of allergic reactions to dimethylfumarate - biocide used as antiyeast in leather articles and in furniture – the European commission has issued on 17th March 2009 the decision 2009/251/EC to prohibit the use on all the European territory.

Chelab has activated a method to determine the presence of ISOPROPYLTHIOXANTHONE in food. The limit of detection is 0.010 mg/kg and the selectivity of the method is guaranteed by the use of MS/MS detectors.