PFAS in Food Supply Chains: Regulations and Analytical Approaches: in association with AOAC India Section

The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food supply chains is a growing concern due to their environmental persistence and potential health risks.

As awareness increases, the demand for effective regulations and advanced analytical methods for detecting PFAS in food is critical. In this webinar hosted by Agilent in association with AOAC India Section, we will explore the current PFAS contamination landscape, regulatory frameworks, and the latest analytical solutions.

The session will cover PFAS characteristics and the challenges they present to food safety. We will examine global and regional regulations, with a focus on evolving standards in India and the South Asia Pacific region. Also, the webinar will highlight advanced analytical approaches for different food matrices like seafood, eggs, meat, infant formula, packaging material, including sample preparation, instrumentation, and reporting essential for effective PFAS detection. Agilent's robust LC/MS and GC/MS PFAS testing solutions will be showcased along with the Captiva EMR sample preparation kit, demonstrating how they can help food manufacturers, exporters, and regulatory bodies ensure compliance with global standards.

Learning outcomes:

• Comprehensive understanding of PFAS characteristics and the regulatory landscape across global and regional markets, including India and the South Asia Pacific.
• Advanced analytical techniques for PFAS detection in food, covering sample preparation, instrumentation, and reporting methodologies.
• Practical insights into implementing PFAS testing solutions to ensure compliance with international food safety standards.

Who should attend:

• Food scientists, analytical chemists, regulatory authorities, government lab personnel, industry professionals in food manufacturing, packaging, exporting, R&D scientists, toxicologists, QA/QC analysts and managers, academicians, and researchers focused on PFAS analysis and food safety.

Presenter: Dr. Nick Birse (Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK)

Nick Birse is a Lecturer in Mass Spectrometry at Queen’s University Belfast, where he focuses on the use of mass spectrometry to solve key food integrity challenges, such as the measurement of chemical contaminants and natural toxins, fingerprinting foods to determine geographic origin and help detect fraud, or simply to measure key quality, flavour and taste attributes, all of which makes foods tastier, healthier and safer for consumers. Nick previously served as a Research Fellow within Prof Chris Elliott’s research group, assisting in the execution of Chris’s 2021 Agilent Thought Leader Award. He holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast.

Presenter: Dr. Niladri Sekhar Chatterjee (Senior Scientist and DST Inspire Fellow, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, India)

Dr. Niladri has more than 10 years of experience in precision measurement of small molecules in food, biological, and environmental matrices. His doctoral research is on pesticide metabolism, and environmental fate in crop, soil, and water. His postdoctoral research is on seafood authentication using high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and molecular spectroscopy fingerprinting. He currently works as a Senior Scientist in the Biochemistry and Nutrition Division at ICAR Central Institute of Fisheries in Kochi. At CIFT, he has been instrumental in establishing a state-of-the-art analytical chemistry laboratory from scratch which is today one of the National Reference Laboratories. He has received external grants from the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) India, National Agricultural Science Fund, and FSSAI. In the NRL, he has developed and validated precision measurement methods for multiclass analysis of pesticides, antibiotic residues, and endocrine disruptors and is actively managing the ISO 17025 accreditation of the laboratory. His research work has resulted in several peer reviewed publications.

Presenter: Dr. Lorna De-Leoz (Global Food Segment Director, Agilent Technologies, USA)

Lorna De Leoz has nearly 20 years of experience in the food industry. As the Global Food Segment Director, she collaborates with scientists to help develop accurate and reliable testing for food safety, quality, and authenticity. Lorna worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Mass Spectrometry Data Center for seven years. She completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry at University of California, Davis on milk oligosaccharides and glycan biomarkers analyses.