First results and the PHOTONFOOD technology presented at RAFA 2022

The 10th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2022) attracted 520 delegates to participate in 93 lectures and look at 355 posters while networking with their peer scientists in Prague, Czech Republic.

The PHOTONFOOD partners NMBU, BOKU and Wageningen University presented the technology developed within the project and the first results of their collaborative work at the symposium.

Volha Shapaval from NMBU had an oral presentation about the application of vibrational spectroscopy for source tracking of fungal contamination in aquaponics. While BIGH as an aquaponic farm from Brussels provided the samples, BOKU and NMBU analysed them in close collaboration. NMBU presented a first concept of using FTIR spectroscopy for source tracking of fungal contamination in aquaponic. Among of the most positive results presented were a clear indication of the absence of mycotoxins in aquaponic production positioning this type of production is highly safe.

Volha Shapaval presenting slides about her research.

BOKU was also represented by Stephan Freitag and his poster about applying near infrared spectroscopy for determination of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in wheat. Anouk J. Bosman and the team from WU contributed to the PHOTONFOOD project be researching portable on-site mycotoxin detection using paper microfluidics and mid-infrared spectroscopic detection of deoxynivalenol in wheat, which Anouk presented at the conference.

If you were not attending RAFA 2022 or would like to read up on PHOTONFOOD’s contributions, you can find the book of abstracts on the RAFA website or follow our social media channels, including the posts about the conference by Rudi Krska and Francesco Simone Ruggeri.

Anouk Bosman presenting slides about her research.

To meet our consortium, visit us at one of the next events or get in touch with individual partners!

By NMBU and BOKU

Overview of all presentations:

  1. V. Shapaval, V. Akulava, M. Aledda, V. Tafintseva, M. Smirnova, N. Patel, G. Guillaumie, M. De Vos, S. Freitag, R. Krska, B. Mizaikoff, G. Salentijn, B. Zimmermann, A. Kohler. Mid-infrared photonic solutions for source tracking of fungal contamination in aquaponic productions.
  2. S. Freitag, A. Zitek, M. Sulyok, and R. Krska. Towards the determination of deoxynivalenol in winter and durum wheat using a handheld near infrared spectrometer.
  3. A.J. Bosman. Towards portable on-site mycotoxin detection: paper microfluidics with mid-infrared spectroscopic detection of deoxynivalenol in wheat.