Temporal variation in the concentrations and profiles of paralytic shellfish toxins and tetrodotoxin in scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) and bloody clam (Anadara broughtonii) collected from the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.

For food safety, the concentrations and profiles of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and tetrodotoxin were examined in economically important scallops and bloody clams collected from the coast of the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. PSTs were the major toxins in both species. The tetrodotoxin concentration in scallops increased in summer, although the highest value (18.7 µg/kg) was lower than the European Food Safety Authority guideline threshold (44 µg/kg). This confirmed the safety for tetrodotoxin in this area.

[Simultaneous determination of 7 kinds of preservatives and saccharin in foods with HPLC, and identification with LC/MS/MS].

A simultaneous determination method of saccharin (SA), sorbic acid (SOA), benzoic acid (BA), p-hydroxybenzoic acid ethyl (PHBA-Et), p-hydroxybenzoic acid isopropyl (PHBA-isoPr), p-hydroxybenzoic acid propyl (PHBA-Pr), p-hydroxybenzoic acid isobutyl (PHBA-isoBu) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid butyl (PHBA-Bu) in foods by HPLC was examined. A mixture of acetonitrile-water (1:1) was used to extract these additives from foods excluding liquid foods, while acetonitrile was used to extract them from liquid foods. HPLC was performed using a TSKgel ODS80Ts (4.6 mm i.d. x 150 mm) column with a mobile phase of 0.01% formic acid solution containing 2 mmol/L-di-n-butyl (or amyl) ammonium acetate (A) and acetonitrile (B) under the following conditions: A/B = 8: 2 (0-8 min) --> 6: 4 (15-32 min). Recoveries of these additives spiked in foods were 78-120%. The determination limits were 10 microg/g. As the identification method, examination by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) was used. Unknown compounds were identified by detection of product ions from their precursor ions in the negative mode with multiple reaction monitoring, m/z 182 > 106 for SA, m/z 121 > 77 for BA, m/z 111 > 67 for SOA and m/z 165 > 92 for PHBA-Et. Ratios of intensity of m/z 179 > 137 to m/z 179 > 92 were used for identification of isomers PHBA-isoPr and PHBA-Pr, and the ratios of intensity of m/z 193 > 137 to m/z 193 > 92 were used for isomers PHBA-isoBu and PHBA-Bu, because these isomers have very similar (Received December 12, 2006)

[A detection method for recombinant DNA from genetically modified potato (NewLeaf Y potato)].

A detection method using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed to detect genetically modified (GM) potato (NewLeaf Y potato; NL-Y), of which the mandatory assessment has not yet been completed in Japan. The potato sucrose synthase gene was used as an internal control. We designed a primer pair to specifically detect NL-Y without false-positive results in processed potato foods infected with the potato virus Y (PVY). The DNA introduced into NL-Y using the primer pair could be detected from potato powder samples containing 0.05% NL-Y. In addition, we designed primer pairs for recognizing the CryIIIA gene to detect the NewLeaf potato (NL), NewLeaf Plus potato (NL-P) and NL-Y and for recognizing p-FMV in order to detect NL-P and NL-Y. The proposed method was applied to the detection of NL-Y in 26 processed potato foods and NL-Y was not detected in any samples.