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A new analytical-toxicological test procedure developed at JLU supports the EU ban on smoke flavourings – test procedure suitable for detecting hazardous compounds in complex samples
Substances capable of mutating human genetic material – altering and permanently damaging it – are present in many everyday products. Researchers at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) have, for the first time, detected mutagens and concurrently cytotoxic substances in food, meat, smoke flavourings, personal care products, and even water. To achieve this, they developed a novel screening procedure enabling the determination of the mutagenicity of individual substances within complex mixtures. Furthermore, the new test procedure detects potential detoxification of mutagens in the body via simulated human liver metabolism. It revealed that detoxification within the body is minimal. Prof. Dr. Gertrud Morlock, Chair of Food Sciences at JLU, and her research team have published their findings, amongst others, in the highly recognized journal “Analytical Chemistry”.
What makes the new so-called planar bioassay screening special is its ability to recognise mutagens without prior knowledge of their chemical structure. This allows the discovery of previously unknown mutagens – for example, mutagenic ingredients, auxiliaries, impurities, contaminants, residues, metabolites, or degradation products. “In contrast to previously used in vitro tests, we can now reliably, quickly, and cost-effectively test complex samples. Through planar separation and bioassay detection on the same adsorbent surface, we no longer have limitations – such as those relating to solubility or interfering signals,” explains Professor Morlock. “This very efficient test procedure yields more informative results, improves our understanding of the mutagenicity of complex samples, and calls for a rethink in consumer protection. This is because we are not only discovering previously known mutagens, but also new mutagens that are equally hazardous and must now be taken into account.”
The researchers' results thus underpin the recent EU bans on smoke flavourings, as well as the regulation of mineral oil residues in food and products. “The classification of red meat as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer is also corroborated by our data,” says Professor Morlock. Furthermore, mutagens were found in products that are not yet sufficiently regulated: lipsticks, skin creams, wound creams, nipple creams, perfumes, and many more. The new screening also reliably determines how well sewage treatment plants remove mutagenic substances from our wastewater and how safe our drinking water is.
Exposure to mutagens should be kept to a minimum, even if it is difficult to prove exactly what effect these hazardous substances have on humans or nature. Care products containing mutagens may have an adverse effect on the skin microbiome, the skin, and the body, particularly if they enter the bloodstream directly through bleeding gums, wounds, micro-injuries or micro-cracks in the skin. Rinse-off could also have an impact on nature and the environment. “Because many everyday products are used frequently, they must become safer,” emphasises Prof. Morlock. “The new testing procedure opens up the possibility of discovering and reducing hazardous substances in these products. The discovered mutagens can be further investigated and identified, allowing their origin to be traced. This, in turn, makes it possible to find ways to avoid these substances.”
To provide manufacturers and regulatory authorities with a testing tool, the JLU researchers have developed the 2LabsToGo-Eco: a miniaturised, low-cost, and open-source system, with which these new test procedures can be carried out in production, quality control, or official surveillance.
The research was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) (Project numbers INST 162/471-1 FUGG and INST 162/536-1 FUGG).
Prof. Dr. Gertrud Morlock
Chair of Food Sciences
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Phone: 0049 641 99-39141
E-mail: gertrud.morlock@uni-giessen.de
- Schmidtmann K., Kayser A-C., Morlock G.E. High-Throughput Testing for Unknown Mutagens and Cytotoxica via Duplex Planar Ames–Cytotoxicity Bioassay Including Metabolic S9 Activation, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c06690
- Morlock G.E., Chemical safety screening of products – better proactive, J. Chromatogr. A 1752 (2025) 465946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2025.465946
- Romero M.C.O., Jakob K., Schmidt J., Nimmerfroh T., Schwack W., Morlock, G.E., Consolidating two laboratories into the most sustainable lab of the future: 2LabsToGo-Eco, Anal. Chim. Acta 1367 (2025) 344103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2025.344103
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