What is BS EN 17521 about?
BS EN 17521 is a European standard that focuses on the quality and safety of food and food products. This European standard aims to ensure the safe consumption of food products by eliminating the risk of mycotoxins. BS EN 17521 specifies a procedure for the determination of five Alternaria toxins in wheat, tomato puree and sunflower seeds by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).
BS EN 17521 focuses on toxins such as Alternaria toxins altenuene (ALT), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tentoxin (TEN) and tenuazonic acid (TEA) these appear in tomato products, cereals, and oilseeds (e.g., sunflower seeds).
Who is BS EN 17521 for?
BS EN 17521 on determination of Alternaria toxins in foodstuffs is useful for:
- Food processing organizations
- Food laboratories
- Food technologist
Why should you use BS EN 17521?
Alternaria species produce more than 70 secondary metabolites, but only a few of them have been structurally identified and reported as mycotoxins. Alternaria fungi are common plant pests in cereals, oilseeds, fruits, and vegetables, among other foods, and the presence of Alternaria toxins in these commodities has been widely reported. These toxins do not only contaminate harvests, but they can also spoil foods at refrigerator temperatures.
BS EN 17521 specifies a procedure for the determination of five alternaria toxins in wheat, tomato puree and sunflower seeds by using food analysis techniques. BS EN 17521 specifies analysis techniques, procedures, test methods to identify the toxins that are present in cereals, oilseeds, fruits, and vegetables that contaminate the harvest of these foods.
BS EN 17521 enables you to detect the alternaria toxins in your food products ensuring a long shelf-life for your food products.