Dr. Helen Nicolidakis, Ph.D.
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 (currently supporting the AMR group in PHAC and previously the Biomonitoring Unit within HECSB and Statistics Canada) through the following activities.
We provide impartial scientific data to:
- 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
- Identify trends in the health of Canadians and impacts of polices.
e.g. providing wastewater data on anti-microbial residues to support Anti-Microbial Resistance, 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)
- Nutrition: What quantity of nutrients is in our food (vitamins, amino acids)?
- 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)
- Toxicology: can health effects in various toxicological studies be linked to presence of chemical contaminants and their metabolites in various biospecimens?
- Anti-Microbial Resistance: Can we link usage of antimicrobials by their levels in wastewater to resistance?
- 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.
Canadian Nutrient File: Provide data to populate the standard reference food composition database reporting the amount of nutrients in foods commonly consumed in Canada
Anti-Microbial Resistance: Analysing wastewater for quantitative levels of various antimicrobials.
Food Allergens: Analysis of various foods and edibles to determine impact of allergen labelling regulations and undeclared allergens.
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.
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.
Canadian Nutrient File: Provide data to populate the standard reference food composition database reporting the amount of nutrients in foods commonly consumed in Canada
Anti-Microbial Resistance: Analysing wastewater for quantitative levels of various antimicrobials.
Food Allergens: Analysis of various foods and edibles to determine impact of allergen labelling regulations and undeclared allergens.
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.
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:
- 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, various toxicological studies with analytical support.
- Identify trends in the health of Canadians and impacts of polices.
e.g. e.g. providing wastewater data on anti-microbial residues to support Anti-Microbial Resistance, 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