New biotoxin reference method

01 July 2011

A new lipophilic toxin detection method using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry replaces the mouse bioassay as the reference method from today. It will be used for the detection of the marine biotoxins of the okadoic acid, pectenotoxin, yessotoxin and azaspiracid groups.

The amendment to Regulation 2074/2005 is in Commission Regulation 15/2011, available here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:006:0003:0006:EN:PDF