Hybrizyme DELFIA PCB-XL
food test is the subject of paper
published
in Food
Additives and Contaminants..........
Hybrizyme Corporation's Delfia PCB-XL food test is the subject of a paper printed
in the
international academic journal Food Additives and Contaminants. The paper
was written
based upon work done at the European Union's, European Commission, DG Joint
Research,
Institute for Health and Consumer Protection, Food Products and Consumer Goods
Unit, located
in Ispra, Italy.
According to the paper, while the production of PCBs has been banned they are
still ubiquitous
in the environment. Human contamination is generally through ingestation of
contaminated food.
Even though there are strict European-wide regulations concerning PCBs, there
have been
recent widespread food contaminations, which were very expensive to contain
and required
immediate actions to protect public health.
The study upon which the paper reports proposed an immunoassay as a screen
for the rapid
detection of PCBs. Other attributes of using an immunoassay would be high sample
throughput,
minimal use of hazardous solvents, and a great cost savings over gas chromatographic
analysis.
In conclusion the paper states....."The DELFIA immunoassay allows a fast
and simple semi-
quantitative determination of PCBs in the tested matrix. Moreover, the method
does not
require extensive sample cleanup or the large amounts of solvents used by conventional
methods
thus, ensuring a more cost-effective, simpler and safer operation. The present
method also offers
good reliability and repeatability at the PCB concentrations of interest. The
technology allows the
GC/MS to be used for confirmation purpose only and provides, therefore, an attractive
tool."
The paper was printed in Food Additives and Contaminants, 2001, Vol.
18, No. 2, 121-127. It
is titled "Use of an immunoassay as a means to detect polychlorinated biphenyls
in animal fat". The
authors are, S. Jaborek-Hugo, C. von Holst, R. Allen, T. Stewart, J. Willey,
and E Anklam.
Reprints of the paper can be obtained from the publisher, Taylor
& Frances LTD, or by requesting
a copy from Hybrizyme.