Presentation
Main research: Prof. Dr. ª Jose Gonzalez Carlos
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| Energy and food are probably the two most important challenges that humanity has. The scarcity of the latter in many regions of the Earth produces some dramatic situations; this moves the scientific community to achieve new ways to produce more food in a more efficiently way. However the increase of production is not enough, since it is also necessary that food products are safe and suitable. The objective of the different research groups participating in our program is the development of new methodologies of analysis allowing a rapid and reliable determination of the adequacy and quality of foods, from the production site to the consumer. |
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The development of the program has involved the formalization and consolidation of the previous relationships existing among these research groups. This fact is now allowing a better use of the available infrastructure, as well as the dissemination of knowledge and experience through all partners.
The subjects under study can be classified into two categories:
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1.- Exogenous toxic compounds entering to the food chain: their residual levels either are already regulated or are expected to be regulated soon when the appropriate analytical methods become available. These compounds include certain drugs (macrolide antibiotics as erithromycin, oleandomycin, roxitromycin, josamycin, spiramycin, tylosyn and ivermectyn), POPs (DDTs, PCBs, PCDD / Fs and PBDEs), pesticides (triazine, organophosphates and pyrethroids), metal pollutants (As, Hg and their interaction with essential elements such as Se), and unwanted products formed during food processing (acrylamide resulting from heating and biofilms produced by pathogenic microorganisms). |
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2.- Endogenous compounds, such as amino acids, peptides and proteins related to the quality and safety, as they may have allergenic properties or they may change their characteristics during processing and / or metabolism, resulting in harmful substances or in a change in the final quality of the food. The main goal will be the characterization of amino acids, peptides and proteins capable of acting as enhancers of immunologic activity (allergens) which are usually associated with adulteration. The potential changes that may suffer the proteins as a result of the food treatment (interaction Se-protein) will be also dealt with. |
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This program intend to achieve new analytical tools for the two main stages of the analysis, namely sample preparation and instrumental measurement; new strategies for optimization and validation of methods will be directed to fulfil the existing regulations about safety and quality of food for humans; finally, this program will allow to efficiently respond to potential alarms due to the possible presence of toxic and/or allergens in foods consumed in the Community of Madrid. |
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