HOW CLIMATE CHANGE CAN IMPACT NEW ZEALAND’S AGRIBUSINESS AND FOOD SECTOR Biodiversity and agriculture are anticipated to take a hit from this phenomenon. 14 SEPTEMBER 2016 Some of the projected impacts of climate change include variation in productivity of certain agricultural areas, spread of disease and pests that could affect flora and fauna, and increased costs associated with management of drought and flooding, among others. The changes in climate are expected to intensify, posing a major threat to New Zealand’s agribusiness and food and beverage (F&B) sectors, the backbone of the country’s economy. With substantial revenue at stake for New Zealand, it is no surprise that the government is doing all it can to safeguard this valuable yet vulnerable industry. So how will climate change poison food? According to the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) 2016 report on Emerging Issues of Environmental Concerns, plants are being stressed due to the shifting climate conditions. Particularly, rising temperatures are triggering an accumulation of toxins in agricultural crops. Plants convert nitrate into protein and amino acids under normal circumstances, however droughts can slow down the conversion, causing nitrates to accumulate and making the plants toxic for animals to eat. While heavy rains may break the drought cycle, it often leads to a build-up of hydrogen cyanide or prussic acid in common crops and fruits. Prolonged warm weather fosters the growth of another type of natural poison, mycotoxins, which infect many crops including coffee, groundnut, maize, oil seeds, peanut, sorghum, tree nuts and wheat. The slightest concentration may make crops unsafe for human or animal consumption. As a metabolite by-product of mould, the formation of mycotoxins is highly dependent on regional temperatures, rainfall, moisture levels, storage and transportation conditions of raw and finished food products. While mycotoxins mainly occur in tropical areas, rising temperatures exacerbated by unpredictable precipitation could also help mycotoxins like aflatoxin - a highly toxic and carcinogenic fungi – thrive even in temperate countries. Researchers suggest that millions of people, especially in developing countries, are exposed to the pervasive natural toxins and aflatoxins on a daily basis, due to their staple diet of ground nuts, maize and cereals. In today’s global economy, food is excessively and easily crossing borders from country to country, regardless of adequate quality control, weather conditions, improper crop harvesting or storage practices resulting in toxic mould contamination. Thus the rising concern for mycotoxins is no surprise. On top of the naturally occurring toxins, the emergence of new disease profiles and pests bring about the need for increased fertiliser inputs and use of pesticides which, if not correctly utilised or abused, can give rise to a whole new set of risks to the food chain. Thanks to novel approaches, more robust and rapid analytical methods can now detect very low concentrations of both naturally occurring toxins like mycotoxins, and/ or pesticides. At present, LCMS/ MS is considered the gold standard for analytical testing of food, due to its unparalleled sensitivity, specificity and ability to quantitate a few hundred target compounds in a single analysis. The overarching merits of MS systems for food testing include the ability to find targeted chemical contaminants with very high specificity, which are powerful enough to perform routine monitoring of high-risk, known chemical contaminants. MS also has the added ability to survey food samples for unknown chemical compounds, including environmental contaminants, adulterants such as melamine, chemical by-products such as whey, and even fungal metabolites. As a trusted supplier of high quality and safe food to more than 100 countries, the New Zealand government has been taking bold steps to ensure the country remains a world leader in food safety. Taking into consideration both natural and man-made, previously encountered and unknown threats to the trade, the government has been putting in place frameworks and legislation to defend its position as a trusted food and beverage exporter. New Zealand’s multi-pronged approach, which encompasses tightening of trade regulations, harnessing of new technologies and advanced methods for food safety as well as fostering industry collaboration, positions the country to successfully deal with issues even as complex as climate change. Higher temperatures, rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events are already occurring in New Zealand, as reported by the nation’s environment ministry. Philip Taylor is the global marketing manager of food, environment and forensic for SCIEX based in Singapore. By Philip Taylor E X P E R T A N A LY S I S
FT-Sep16
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