Lifecycle of Food Analysis Workshop – First Guest Speaker Confirmed
We are delighted to confirm that Dr Tanya Curtis will be joining us on the 2nd of April 2019 for our two day Lifecycle of Food Analysis Workshop. Places are going fast so book now to avoid disappointment.
Dr Curtis is an internationally recognised expert on the acrylamide issue and will be presenting Developments in Asparagine and Acrylamide Testing as part of Anatune’s two day Workshop.
Businesses are required to reduce the levels of acrylamide in food and implementing any effective acrylamide reduction strategy requires the measurement of not only acrylamide, but also free asparagine.
Acrylamide is a toxic chemical that forms in starchy food products and coffee during high temperature cooking, including baking, frying and industrial processing. It is a Class 2a carcinogen, is neurotoxic and has been linked to male infertility. Epidemiological studies have also presented evidence suggesting a link between acrylamide and pancreatic cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, and cancers in the brain and central nervous system [Mendel, J.Agri&Food.Chem., 2003]. The acrylamide metabolite glycidamide appears to be the major carcinogen found in laboratory tests carried out on rodents.
The Maillard Reaction between free asparagine and reducing sugars present in food causes the acrylamide to form; it is the same reaction that ‘browns’ food and produces the flavours and aromas associated with fried, baked and roasted foods. In wheat and coffee this reaction is limited by the amount of free asparagine.
Nov-2017’s publication – EU COMMISSION REGULATION (EU 2017/2158) establishes the mitigation measures and benchmark levels for the reduction of acrylamide in food. It requires business operators to follow the procedures necessary to meet targets set to achieve the objectives of the Regulation.
To confirm compliance with benchmark levels, the effectiveness of mitigation measures by industry will have to be verified through sampling, testing and analysis.
Developments in Asparagine and Acrylamide Testing is being investigated by Curtis Analytics Business and will examine some of the relevant projects they are working on.
You can find more information on the Workshop here.
The cost is £120 + VAT which is inclusive of all course material, lunch and refreshments on both days.
Places are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.
Lifecycle of Food Analysis Workshop – Speaker Bio
Dr Curtis is Director of Curtis Analytics, providing analyses of acrylamide precursor concentrations in a range of food matrices and developing new methods for testing.
Dr Curtis graduated from the Agricultural University of Plovdiv in 1998 with a MsD in Agronomy. The following year she was awarded a Masters Degree in Agricultural Engineering and Plant Genetics.
During her studies she undertook secondments at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Groninghen in the Netherlands.
Subsequently she worked as a volunteer in plant virology at Imperial College London.
She studied for her doctorate at Rothamsted Research and the University of Reading, and she was awarded her PhD by the University in 2010 for her thesis entitled ‘Genetic and Environmental Factors Controlling Acrylamide Formation in Wheat and Rye Products’. By the end of that project, Dr Curtis was a recognised international expert on the acrylamide issue.
She continued to build her reputation through her work on the project ‘Genetic Improvement of Wheat to Reduce the Potential for Acrylamide Formation During Processing’, which was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom.
For more about Dr Curtis and her work click the links below:
CONTACT US for more information about our food analysis services and future workshops.