Validation of food allergen analytical methods and their incorporation in food process control practices – aiming for more predictable, risk-based quality management systems for processed foods

The planned research aims to validate food allergen and gluten testing tools, and their incorporation in novel quality-management systems used in food production. It will leverage existing methodologies developed by r-Biopharm Canada (r-BPC), over the past decade through its parent company. Beyond a contribution to the validation and enhanced application of these methods on various food matrices, the main innovation will consist in exploring the incorporation of these analytical tools in food control practices, such that they support novel risk-based and better “codified” quality management systems for allergens in processed foods, to be adopted by the food manufacturing sector. Efforts will target the initiation of enhanced codes of practice, where robust food allergen analytical tools can be incorporated to be applied in Canada and internationally. The project will enable a leading role in developing validation criteria for allergen methods under the auspices of the Association of Official Analytical Communities (AOAC): development of AOAC’s Standard Methods Performance Requirements or SMPR for allergens. It will then generate such validation data for rBPC methods. The project will enable to update relevant methods so that they adapt to the requirements of the SMPR with enhanced performance and be incorporated in Novel Quality Control approaches.

Faculty Supervisor:

Samuel Godefroy

Student:

Virginie Barrère

Partner:

r-Biopharm Canada inc

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Program: