Question of the month: October 2018

Our experts answer your burning questions about the world of pharmaceutical testing. This month: what are reference standards for impurities, and what are research materials?

Wednesday, October 03, 2018

Mikromol at 25

When two entrepreneurial recent graduates decided in 1993 to begin producing their own pharmaceutical reference materials, Mikromol was born and they started down a path that 25 years later has created a new byword for excellence in pharmaceutical synthesis. Read about the company's journey over the last 25 years.

Monday, October 01, 2018

API of the month: Paroxetine

Paroxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), the most common group of antidepressants on the market today. It was first marketed in 1992 and by 2007 was the fifth most prescribed antidepressant in the US, at over 18 million annual prescriptions.

Thursday, September 06, 2018

Anastrozole's Ascent

Featured Pharmaceutical API and relative newcomer to the clinical care scene, anastrozole is now a breast cancer treatment staple. Find out how this aromatase inhibitor shot to the forefront of post-menopausal ER+ breast cancer care.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

The Pressure's on for Valsartan

Active pharmaceutical ingredient valsartan, has been in the news recently, as recalls are issued worldwide for valsartan products comtaminated with carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). We look at NDMA's history as a contaminant and explore why regular testing and analysis of pharmaceutical products is so vital.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Extractables and Leachables- What do you need to know?

Extractables and Leachables (E&L): analysis is an essential component in many fields, but mainly though in food safety and the pharmaceutical industry.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Aflatoxin M1 in cheese

Milk and dairy products are commonly consumed by people of all age groups. They are recognised as important foods for human diet and  are considered nutrient dense foods contributing to our protein, fat, vitamin and elements (especially Ca) daily intake.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Nitrate in infant vegetable food

Nitrate is a natural contaminant present mainly in vegetables and drinking water although it is frequently added as a preservative in processed meat products.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Total Polar compounds in frying oil

Oils and fats represent one of the three major classes of food constituents together with carbohydrates and proteins. Deep-fat frying is one of the most popular cooking procedures and leads to the production of both desirable and undesirable compounds.

Monday, December 05, 2016

Primed to react: staying on top of allergen testing

Illegal Marijuana, Part II: the Real Danger – Pesticides, Poison and Death

With illegal cannabis operations continuing to gain traction throughout the United States, we are learning more and more about hazardous health and environmental risks associated with unscrupulous growers.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Illegal Marijuana, Part I – Why illegal cannabis businesses are still thriving in legal markets

California’s cannabis black market has eclipsed its legal market, with illegal sellers outnumbering regulated outlets almost three to one, threatening legal businesses. This week we’re exploring the struggling legal market in California, compared to the thriving legal market in Colorado.

Thursday, April 09, 2020

US hemp production: contamination concerns

We’ve discussed how the 2018 Farm Bill and the USDA require that Cannabis sativa L. must have a THC level no greater than 0.3% to be considered hemp. Assuming that we have a legal hemp crop – do we know if it’s safe?

Thursday, March 19, 2020

US hemp production: THC determination

This week we will discuss the Federal Register 7 CFR Part 990 "Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program" and THC determination. Included in this post are some snippets of useful information taken from that publication.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

US hemp production: The facts about interstate hemp shipment

The news in the United States has recently been filled with stories of hemp shipments being seized by various police forces around the country, on the grounds that it looks like marijuana. In this post we highlight a few useful tidbits in information that haven’t been covered in those news stories.

Thursday, March 05, 2020

Protecting the pollinators – French neonicotinoid ban takes effect

According to Greenpeace, the work of bees and other pollinating insects has an estimated economic value of $265 billion annually and a third of all our food production depends upon their pollination.

Tuesday, March 05, 2019

The future of glyphosate

Scrutiny on glyphosate has intensified on the heels of court rulings and recent studies, with mounting opposition to the herbicide amongst consumer groups and policymakers.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Bees get a buzz from nicotine-like pesticides

There is ongoing concern over Neonicitinoids and the health and effectiveness of bee populations, with the US EPA scheduling reviews of all the pesticides in the class.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016