Dr. Helen Nicolidakis, Ph.D.

Image Helen Nicolidakis
Manager of the ROEB Food Laboratory Burnaby

Who we are and what we do?

The Food Laboratory is accredited under ISO 17025 and helps manage nutritional and chemical related health risks for the Food Directorate in HPFB and other clients (such as the Biomonitoring Unit within HECSB and Statistics Canada) through the following activities. 

We provide impartial scientific data to:

  1. Inform risk management strategies such as new policies or regulations and health risk assessments, e.g.: Total Diet (Market Basket) Surveys, Specific targeted surveys, Allergens in Foods,  PCBs/Dioxins, Novel Flame Retardants, Nutritional Components (vitamins, amino acids and other bioactives), parabens
  2. Identify trends in the health of Canadians and impacts of polices.
    e.g. providing biomonitoring support to the Canadian Health Measures Survey (Parabens, Organophosphate Flame Retardents and UV Compounds including Benzophenones in Human Urine).

Our main programs (but we do related work in a variety of matrices as well)

  1. Nutrition: What quantity of nutrients is in our food (vitamins, amino acids)?
  2. Food Chemical Safety: What chemical contaminants are present in our food (e.g. persistent organic pollutants) and are strategies to manage allergens in foods working (impacts of regulations, labelling)
  3. Human Biomonitoring: What quantity of chemical contaminants (industrial, environmental or other sources) do we carry in our bodies?

Who does the work and how:  The Food Laboratory has a complement of 14 staff: 11 chemists and biologists, an administrative assistant and a manager with degrees ranging from B.Sc. to Ph.D.

In order to do our work, we use complex equipment such as:

High Resolution Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (HR GC/MS)

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (uHPLC-MS/MS)

As well as expertise using GC-MS/MS, HPLC-QToF mass spectrometry, ELISA and related immunoassay 
 techniques

Notable Activities and Projects:

Total Diet Study: Analysis of persistent organic pollutants (dioxins, PCBs, organochlorines, BFRs, HBCDs) to provide estimated levels of exposure to chemicals that Canadians in different age-sex groups accumulate through the food supply.

Food Allergens: Analysis of various foods to determine impact of allergen labelling regulations and undeclared allergens.

Canadian Nutrient File: Provide data to populate the standard reference food composition database reporting the amount of nutrients in foods commonly consumed in Canada

Canadian Health Measures Survey:  Analyze parabens in urine from Cycles 3 to 6.  Results of this work have been used for draft screening assessment of parabens which could lead to a number of them being declared toxic under CEPA. Developed methods analyze Organophosphates and Benzophenones and other UV compounds for Cycle 6 CHMS samples and future CHMS cycles.

Facilities/Place of work

We currently share facility space in a CFIA laboratory building along with the HC Drug Analysis Service (DAS) and have a designated level three chemical containment space for the ultra-trace and multi-residue analysis of toxic chemicals.

Current research and/or projects

Total Diet Study: Analysis of persistent organic pollutants (dioxins, PCBs, organochlorines, BFRs, HBCDs) to provide estimated levels of exposure to chemicals that Canadians in different age-sex groups accumulate through the food supply.

Food Allergens: Analysis of various foods to determine impact of allergen labelling regulations and undeclared allergens.

Canadian Nutrient File: Provide data to populate the standard reference food composition database reporting the amount of nutrients in foods commonly consumed in Canada

Canadian Health Measures Survey:  Analyze parabens in urine from Cycles 3 to 6.  Results of this work have been used for draft screening assessment of parabens which could lead to a number of them being declared toxic under CEPA. Developed methods analyze Organophosphates and Benzophenones and other UV compounds for Cycle 6 CHMS samples and future CHMS cycles.

Research and/or project statements

The Food Laboratory is accredited under ISO 17025 and helps manage nutritional and chemical related health risks for the Food Directorate in HPFB and other clients (such as the Biomonitoring Unit within HECSB and Statistics Canada) through the following activities. 

We provide impartial scientific data to:

  1. Inform risk management strategies such as new policies or regulations and health risk assessments, e.g.: Total Diet (Market Basket) Surveys, Specific targeted surveys, Allergens in Foods,  PCBs/Dioxins, Novel Flame Retardants, Nutritional Components (vitamins, amino acids and other bioactives), parabens
  2. Identify trends in the health of Canadians and impacts of polices.
    e.g. providing biomonitoring support to the Canadian Health Measures Survey (Parabens, Organophosphate Flame Retardents and UV Compounds including Benzophenones in Human Urine).

Professional activities / interests

Method development for trace and ultra-trace organic chemical contaminants in a variety of matrices, including environmental chemicals, and personal care products

surveillance and monitoring activities to assist risk assessment and policy development for a variety of clients

 

Education and awards

Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, 1995

Research facility

3155 Willingdon Green
Burnaby, BC V5G 4P2
Canada

Language

English

Other languages

Greek