Rapid methods for onsite detection of mycotoxins

Since many years ago, the risk of contamination of food and feed by mycotoxins has been reduced by careful control of raw materials. Rapid methods played a key role in this. There are many products on the market. Products are not only fast, but also accurate enough, so… is everything fine?  Actually, it is unclear, considering this topic is often neglected in scientific conferences. The few presentations about test kits are by the producers, almost never by independent experts. This is why Affidia decided to do the opposite: we will give the floor to those that everyday control grains and milk to avoid consumers and animals could be exposed to hazardous toxins. At the same time, we want to highlight the job of test kit certification bodies: third-party performance assessments are particularly needed, considering end-users are rarely in the conditions to do it.

  

We do not like classic webinars: 80-90% of the time is occupied by long slide presentations, something that people can watch at any moment on-demand. A live event makes sense if the organizers can gather experts and professionals that report their experience and discuss the topic, not just because there is a short Q&A section at the end. This is why we launched “Affidia Talks”, real live discussions stimulated by facts and witnesses in a video introduction.

  

This event will be very useful for safety and quality managers of the food and feed industries, as well as operators of companies that certify stocks of grains before the shipments. It is also a unique opportunity for test kit manufacturers and sellers to learn more about the troubles their customers are facing.

  

Agenda of the event 

The demand for rapid testing in the food and feed chain. The worldwide market for rapid methods. The available technologies. 

The tech challenges to get devices with satisfactory performances: interviews with a few scientists and manufacturers. 

How rapid methods allowed to keep under control the mycotoxins in the supply chain in the past years. Key factors in the choice of test kits.

The need for third part performances assessment; the different goals of different certification schemes. 

The experience of certification bodies: issues in the validation job, feedback by the producers and from the market. 

Is everything fine? Interviews with some experts and some dealers of rapid methods. The need for education. 

The relationship with service laboratories, how to prove to supplier and customers the reliability of on-site testing (reference materials, proficiency tests, etc.). What could still be improved in the commercially available products.