as these stains do not strongly fluoresce and may be confused with other biological fluids such as semen. The test may be considered selective for saliva as α-amylase activity in saliva is typically several orders of magnitude higher than in other body fluids. A study has shown that as many as 40% of saliva stains on garments go undetected when using alternate light sources. The test is capable of locating saliva deposits with little dependence on the porosity of the substrate. Specificity to saliva There are other bodily substances that can test positive for alpha-amylase using the Phadebas Forensic Press test. Some examples include faeces, semen, urine and tears. Although there is possibility of false positives from other sources of amylase, the instructions for use published by Phadebas Forensic state that no other forensically relevant biological fluid (with the exception of faeces) will react within 10 minutes of performing the test. It is also been shown that certain undiluted detergents can cause a positive reaction when tested with the Phadebas amylase test. The test is not human specific; it is sensitive to saliva from other species, amylase from microbes such as Baccilus and extracts from certain plants including apple and cabbage. Alimentary The test is used for determining α-amylase in a wide variety of food applications, for example in food and beverages: Egg powder Wheat Milk Honey According to the EU Honey Directive, diastase activity is a composition criterion that must be determined for honeys intended for human consumption. The official analysis methods for the determination of diastase activity in honey are the Schade assay and Phadebas assays, recommended by the International Honey Commission. As this method is based on fixed equations instead of a standard curve the new Phadebas honey diastase test was developed, to ensure stable results independent of batch. References Forensic chemicals Enzymes