Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
Food Safety
While commercial laboratories usually perform routine analysis, our focus is on the handling of complex and research-based analysis. This includes the detection of challenging organic contaminants such as perfluorinated compounds, as well as the determination of pesticide residues including their metabolites.
These tests are carried out using state of the art technologies - including the generation and identification of process contaminants by lab scale food processing and 14C-analysis. Fast detection methods, which can be directly used in food production, are developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Agriculture and Food Industry Alliance.
Selected publications
Murray, M., Barlow, C.K., Blundell, S., Buecking, M., Gibbon, A., Goeckener, B., Kaminskas, L.M., Leitner, P., Selby-Pham, S., Sinclair, A., Waktola, H.D., Williamson, G., Bennett, L.E., Demonstrating a link between diet, gut microbiota and brain: 14C radioactivity identified in the brain following gut microbial fermentation of 14C-radiolabeled tyrosine in a pig model. Front. Nutr., 09 March 2023, Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health, Volume 10 – 2023,
DOI:10.3389/fnut.2023.1127729
Delatour, T., Badoud, F., Severin, K., Bücking, M., Göckener, B., Theurillat, V.
Degradation of Glyphosate along Coffee Roasting: Do Residue Levels in Green Beans Mirror Exposure Derived from Coffee Consumption? (2023) Food Chemistry.
doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134355
Just, H., Göckener, B., Lämmer, E., Wiedemann-Krantz, L., Stahl, T, Breuer, J., Gassmann, G., Weidemann, E., Bücking, M., Kowalczyk, J.
Degradation and Plant Transfer Rates of Seven Fluorotelomer Precursors to Perfluoroalkyl Acids and F‑53B in a Soil-Plant System with Maize (Zea mays L.) (2022) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06838
Sargazi, M.; Bücking, M.; Kaykhaii, M.
Development of a solventless stir bar sorptive extraction/thermal desorption large volume injection capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for ultra-trace determination of pyrethroids pesticides in river and tap water samples (2020) Open Chemistry, 18 (1), 1339-1348.
DOI: 10.1515/chem-2020-0176
Göckener, B.; Eichhorn, M.; Lämmer, R.; Kotthoff, M.; Kowalczyk, J.; Numata, J.; Schafft, H.; Lahrssen-Wiederholt, M.; Bücking, M.
Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Feed into the Eggs of Laying Hens. Part 1: Analytical Results Including a Modified Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay (2020) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 68 (45), 12527–12538.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c04456