In its latest release, the FDA said the devices can analyze the molecular composition of an object during screening and reduce the possibility of contamination, counterfeiting especially in medicines and dietary supplements.
FDA deputy director of the division of pharmaceutical analysis Benjamin Westenberger said consumer “products could sometimes be contaminated with other substances during manufacturing process, mislabeled or may contain different ingredients from those listed on the label.”
The devices can be used for imported products coming into the country, and if a problem is sighted during the screening, Westenberger said the product can be sent to a laboratory for further analysis.
Currently, FDA investigators collect samples of imported products shipped to the country from rail lines, warehouses and other ports of entry, send the samples to the laboratory and wait for weeks for the results.
Westenberger said FDA has a team of over 2,000 scientifically trained specialists who conduct inspections and investigations on the various samples of products including food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and vaccines for people and animals coming into the U.S.
Each year, FDA tests hundreds of thousands of laboratory analysis from imported and domestically produced products.
Westenberger said that the testing process has been challenged as the volume of drugs and other products imported into the U.S increased in the past decade but with the new devices, investigators can get fast results on the product samples.
FDA said the results from the screening devices are to be treated as preliminary results only.
The high tech devices include Raman spectroscopy that can identify the chemical composition of a product sample through laser light, the Near-infrared or NIR spectroscopy which measures how a product sample absorbs NIR, a light that is invisible to the human eye, and the Ion mobility spectrometry or IMS which is widely used for military and security purposes to detect explosives and illegal drugs.
Westenbeyer said if these new devices are found to be effective, they could take this technology to other countries to improve their safety programs.
Source: http://www.fda.gov
