NIFA Funded Research on
Chemicals, Mycotoxins, and
Nanoparticles in Foods
Jodi P. Williams, PhD
National Program Leader, Food Safety
IRAC Workshop on Chemical Food Safety Risk Assessment
FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD
June 14th 2012
NIFA Programs
• AFRI
– Food Safety Challenge Area
– Foundational Program
• Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health
• Agriculture Systems Technology
– Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems
• NIFSI
• HATCH
• Small Business Innovation Research
Impact of the Physicochemical Properties of Engineered
Nanomaterials on their Cellular Uptake and Potential Toxicity in
the Gastrointestinal Tract Environment
Dutta, P.K.; Rathman, J.; Waldman, J.; The Ohio State University, Columbus, and Chihae
Yang, FDA (2010-05267)
• Nanomaterials are increasingly incorporated into food ingredients
• Researchers at Ohio State University are proposing that engineered
nanoparticles are modified by the environment of the gastrointestinal(GI) tract.
• Evaluate the size, composition, surface charge, crystallinity, and
surface chemistry/physics of particles after modification affect their
interactions with intestinal epithelial cells, influencing particle toxicity,
bioavailability and tissue distribution.
Influence of Nanoparticle Characteristics on Fate, Bioavailability, and Toxicity
of Food-Grade Nanoemulsions, Xiao, H.; McClements, D. J.; Decker, E. A.
University of Massachusetts Amherst (2010-05266)
This project will show how the different properties of nanoemulsions (size, charge,
surface properties) effect digestion in the GI tract, absorption of beta carotene in the
blood and the adverse effects of beta-carotene on nanoemulsions.
Develop nanoemulsions with beta-carotene encapsulated within.
Quantification of the major factors impacting the bioavailability and
distribution of beta-carotene in nanoemulsions in simulated
gastrointestinal conditions.
Determination of the bioavailability and safety of beta-carotenenanoemulsions in Mongolian gerbils
Risk Assessment And Intervention Strategies For The Emerging
Food Safety Threat Of Ochratoxin
PD = Dr. Dojin Ryu Institution: Texas Woman's University
• Aspergillus are ubiquitous & toxigenic fungi that produce ochratoxin A (OTA), a possible
human carcinogen.
• OTA has been found in a wide variety of agricultural commodities including cereal grains,
nuts, dried fruits, spices, meat, milk, & many processed foods.
• Currently, no regulation for OTA in food has been set in the U.S.
Award =$450,365
Risk Assessment And Intervention Strategies For The Emerging Food Safety
Threat Of Ochratoxin
PD = Dr. Dojin Ryu Institution: Texas Woman's University
Optimization & verification of methods for detecting and quantifying OTA in
foods to obtain reliable data in different food matrices
Determination of OTA concentrations & presence of toxigenic fungi in foods
with a comprehensive national survey
Risk assessment of foodborne OTA exposure (general public & high-risk
populations, including infants)
Development of strategies to reduce OTA exposure from the food supply
through examination of current postharvest practices
Nanoparticle Contamination of Agricultural Crop Species
PD = Dr. Jason White, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES)
• Nanomaterials (NM) are being incorporated into pesticides and fertilizers.
• NM impacts on agricultural plants and potential trophic transfer is unknown.
• This project will quantitatively characterize the effects of NMs on crops, focusing on
processes relevant to human risk. The research team has hypothesized that agricultural crops
accumulate and are physiologically impacted by NMs in a toxicologically significant fashion
with regard to subsequent human exposure.
Award =$1,498,080
Nanoparticle Contamination of Agricultural Crop Species
PD = Jason White, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES)
Determine the uptake, translocation, and toxicity of NMs in crops
Determine the impact of environmental conditions on NM uptake,
translocation, and toxicity in crops
Determine the potential trophic transfer of NMs
Quantify the facilitated uptake of pesticides through NM-chemical interactions
Development of Rapid and Versatile Detection Systems for the
Detection of Toxins and
Chemicals on Fresh Produce and Nuts
PD = Theodore Labuza; University of Minnesota
• Develop two detection systems based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and
nanoparticle (NP) aggregation assays
• Can be used for routine, in-the-field detection of toxins and chemicals on fresh produce and
nuts.
• Toxins and chemicals of interest include commercially available pesticides, herbicides,
cyanide, Shiga toxin and many others.
Award =$500,000
Development of Rapid and Versatile Detection Systems for the Detection of
Toxins and Chemicals on Fresh Produce and Nuts
PD = Theodore Labuza; University of Minnesota
Develop rapid versatile (lab-based and hand-held) SERS protocols for
detecting toxins and chemicals, including pesticides on fresh produce and
nuts
Develop NP aggregation assay for multiplex detection of toxins and
chemicals, including pesticides on fresh produce and nuts
ACQUISITION OF A LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS
SPECTROMETRY TO
ENHANCE RESEARCH ON TOXINS IN FRESH FOOD
CROPS
(Equipment Grant)
PD = Simsek, Senay; Institution: North Dakota State University
A Liquid Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (LCMS) system, will be used for the
analysis of toxins and other chemicals from fresh crops. ND State’s main use will
be focused on analysis of toxins from fresh food crops. Acquisition of this
instrumentation will improve ND State’s ability to conduct original research on the
analysis of toxins from various plant sources, and therefore should improve their
capacity to compete for other funding opportunities. The instrumentation and data
generated also will be incorporated into the education and training of students.
Award =$ 50,000
Helping Childbearing Women Make Informed
Decisions Regarding Seafood Consumption
Provided with effective educational materials, childbearing aged women
will consume seafood which provides nutrients that will support a healthy
pregnancy while lowering the risks of exposure to pollutants in seafood.
Validate the use of thermal decomposition (gold) amalgamation-atomic absorption
spectrophotometry for the rapid measurement of total mercury in fish using a fish fin or
biopsy plug without having to sacrifice the fish.
To survey for mercury and omega-3 fatty acids in commercially important fish species
across 5 regions in the US.
Develop and compare two educational communication vehicles to change the behavior
of pregnant women.
NIFSI and HATCH -- $600,000 +
Sequential Injection Enzymatic Assay
for Melamine Detection in Food
Develop a highly sensitive, reproducible, and rapid
direct enzymatic sequential injection instrument
Detect 200 ppb in milk based samples
SBIR Phase I -- $80,000
Rapid Detection of Mycotoxins
Food contaminated with mycotoxins can sometimes cause fatal
acute illness and is associated with increased cancer risk from
long-term exposure.
To demonstrate the feasibility of using colorimetric indicator based
cartridge to indicate the presence of trace quantities of
trichothecene mycotoxins in grains and in aqueous solutions.
Develop a simple battery operated handheld system utilizing microcartridges without antibodies or enzymes for rapid detection of
tricothecene mycotoxins in grains, other field crops and water.
SBIR Phase I - $80,000
Program Contacts
• Nanotechnology Programs – Hongda Chen
hchen@nifa.usda.gov
• AFRI Programs – Isabel Walls
(iwalls@nifa.usda.gov), Jeanette Thurston,
(jthurston@nifa.usda.gov), Ram Rao
(rrao@nifa.usda.gov)
• Small Business Innovation Research Programs –
Jodi Williams (jwilliams@nifa.usda.gov)