Dr Ehrenstorfer: what’s new this month – August 2021

In many parts of the world, it’s summer holiday season – but here at LGC there’s no stopping us keeping our portfolio up to date. We’re constantly supporting our customers by keeping the Dr. Ehrenstorfer range of environmental, food and cannabis reference standards aligned with new regulations and cutting-edge research. Why not look at our most recent product updates – and get in touch to find out how we can help meet your laboratory’s needs? 

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION COMPOUNDS 

The accurate characterisation of food and beverage composition is crucial to maintaining your laboratory’s compliance with changing labelling requirements and regulations. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency is due to introduce new rules from October, designed to give customers potentially life-saving allergen information on their food packaging. But consumers still need more help from producers – and the laboratories supporting them – to make informed decisions about what they eat and drink. We’ve added 17 nutritional composition compounds to our range, including reference materials for Catechin and Epigallocatechin. Both are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances found in teas and some fruits, but both have also been linked to liver damage in higher doses.  

View our range of nutritional composition compounds reference materials here

HEALTH AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS 

We’ve added 14 more reference materials to our new range for this fast-growing sector, including our Urocanic Acid (UCA) sample – a must-have for laboratories working to guarantee the safety of cosmetic products. Once considered a ‘natural sunscreen’, UCA was banned from European and Canadian cosmetics following the discovery that its cis-isomer had immunomodulatory properties linked to skin cancer, eczema and hives. In the US, the independent Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel also concluded that there was not enough evidence to prove that UCA was safe to use in cosmetics, and it has been phased out as an ingredient in personal care products. 

View our range of health and personal care products reference materials here

CANNABIS-RELATED COMPOUNDS 

The legalisation of cannabis, and cannabis-derived products, is spreading gradually across the US - leading several states to introduce more stringent laws requiring comprehensive testing for foreign substances such as solvents and pesticides. For cannabis testing laboratories, detecting pesticide residues is a key concern, because the cannabis plant is a hyper-accumulator of trace elements from the soil it grows in. Meanwhile, chemical solvents used to extract therapeutic and psychoactive compounds from cannabis flowers can also persist in finished products. This presents a potential health risk to users, particularly when products designed to be heated and inhaled – such as shatter and wax – are made using solvents. A further headache for laboratories in meeting US testing standards is that each individual state is responsible for setting its own guidelines – meaning that regulations differ widely from territory to territory. Our new range of 12 pesticide and solvent reference materials not only conforms to ISO 17034, but also features eight mixtures tailored to meet current testing requirements in Arizona, California, Michigan and Oregon.

View our range of cannabis-related compounds reference materials here