Shimadzu donates equipment to IAEA to advance food safety
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be able to increase its efforts to help countries test for contaminants in food thanks to a donation of detection equipment by manufacturer Shimadzu.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be able to increase its efforts to help countries test for contaminants in food thanks to a donation of detection equipment by manufacturer Shimadzu. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and Shimadzu Chairman Akira Nakamoto signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the area of food safety research. The IAEA helps countries to develop and adopt nuclear and nuclear-related techniques for the control of contaminants in food to increase countries’ capacity to apply regulations on foodstuffs.
The donated machine is a liquid chromatograph with triple quadruple mass spectrometric capabilities (LC-MS/MS). It can test for multiple contaminants in food samples simultaneously, and is a key analytical tool for laboratories concerned with food safety.
The IAEA will use the new machine to train scientists from laboratories all over the world in applying state-of-the-art analytical methods to test for contaminants, such as pesticides and veterinary drug residues, in basic food products. It will also support IAEA research on reliable methods to confirm the origin of—and test for adulteration in—food.
“The agency supports food safety laboratories in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America and the demand for these services is growing, so this donation is very welcome,” said Amano.