HC Deb 11 April 2002 vol 383 cc582-3W
Mr. Breed

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 29 January 2002,Official Report, column 240W, on genotype test errors, if she will list the contracts that her Department and its predecessor Department has had in the last five years with LGC. [33776]

Mr. Morley

[holding answer 6 February 2002]: The following are the contracts undertaken by LGC in the last five years: Specia Lion, bioavailability, biopotency and functional markers for D vitamers; Development of methods to detect protein standardisation of cows' drinking milk; Methods for the detection of rectified grape and apple juice in fruit juices; The immunological determination of meat content; Evaluation of a DNA Method for Meat Species Identification; A novel method for the detection of neuronal tissue from beef by the identification of tissue specific DNA modification; Differentiation of species of meat in particular cooked products by DNA methods; Evaluation of a suite of methods to distinguish cheese analogues from genuine cheese; Optimisation and validation of DNA assay for detection of select non-muscle tissues in meat products using tissue specific DNA modification; Vitamin B6 improvements in extraction and determination——Resolving inaccuracy and bias from its measurement; Development and validation of two analytical procedures for the quantitative determination of fatty acids; Further studies on the determination of heme and non-heme iron; Develop and validate a routine HPLC method for the determination of folates and folic acid in foods; development and validation of rapid viable pathogen testing and enumeration by a simple and low cost new method; An improved analytical method for gellan gum; Development and validation of procedures to detect and quantify the use of dimethyl dicarbonate in non-alcoholic drinks; Biomarker assessment of benzoate consumption; A regiospecific immunoassay screening test for contaminants from food contact plastics; Develop a novel molecular typing method for comparison of foodbourne pathogens using VTEC as a model organism; Efficacy testing of disinfectants used in the food industry against a range of pathogens including E-coli 0157; Processing LINK Offers of Grant; Organochlorine residue in poultry resulting from the use of hyperchlorinated water in poultry washes; Chain of custody audit at Institute of Animal Health; Development of a Sensitive and Specific Molecular Typing Method for the Epidemiological Study of Salmonella; Investigation of glufosinate residue analysis in potatoes, soya products, legume and maize; Development of methods for the determination of thyreostats in poultry and bovine livers; BSE Testing in Cattle: Analytical Work on Veterinary Residues in Foodstuffs of Animal Origin; National Scrapie Plan "Blood Sampling"; Feasibility Study of the Determination of Oestrone, etc. in Drinking Waters; Analysis of Oestrone, Oestradiol and Ethynyl Oestradiol——Supervision of Performance Tests; Investigation of Solvent Contamination Incidents and Provision of Scientific Advice on Drinking Water Quality and Health Issues; Leaching of Lead from Approved u-PVC Water Supply Pipes; Consolidate two GCMS methods for the determination of three oestrogen steroids in water and review of the potential for determining the same steroids using LCMSMS; Exposure to chloropropanol isomers via polyamines.