May 8th 2024
Yelena Sapozhnikova from the United States Department of Agriculture spoke to The Column about her innovative research investigating PFAS in plastic food storage bags using targeted and non-targeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.
Authentication of Panax Ginseng‑Based Herbal Teas Using “Chemical Markers” Strategy
July 1st 2022This article describes the method development involved in the authentication of nutraceuticals, particularly those containing Panax ginseng, which is popular because of possible positive effects on human health.
Analysis of UV-Treated Mushrooms: Dietary Source of Vitamin D2?
July 1st 2022In our study, a fast and sensitive liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method for the determination of vitamin D2 in fresh mushrooms and its metabolite 25(OH)D2 in the blood of volunteers regularly consuming UV-treated mushrooms has been introduced.
New Adventures in GC–IMS for Nontargeted Screening of Food and Environmental Samples
June 9th 2022The Column spoke to Philipp Weller from the Institute of Instrumental Analytics and Bioanalytics at the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, Germany, about the benefits of nontargeted screening approaches in food safety and environmental analysis using GC–IMS, and the best way to approach data processing and model building with the generated data.
Extraction of Pesticides from Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Pepper
June 1st 2022Pesticide testing is crucial to assessing the safety of fruits and vegetables for consumption. The traditional extraction method for pesticides from produce is the QuEChERS method. This method is tedious, manual, time consuming, and wasteful. Thus, there is a need for improved methods of extraction. In this application note, the EDGE®, in combination with Q-Matrix™ Hydra, a water-removing sorbent, was used to extract a panel of pesticides from 10 g of homogenized cucumber, tomato, and green pepper in less than 9 min. The recoveries of the pesticide panel were greater than 70% for each matrix tested, and these results were highly reproducible. The EDGE provides a fully automated extraction that combines both the sample and sorbent into one sample vessel, alleviating the human burden of extraction and the need for multiple sample transfers.
Taking the Red Pill: Alleviating Matrix Effects for Small Molecule Quantitation in Food and Feed
May 1st 2022Rudolf Krska and Michael Sulyok from the University of Natural Resources and Life Science in Vienna, Austria, discuss their recent work developing a multi‑analyte approach using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS), and the issues surrounding agrocontaminants in animal feeds.
Fast GC–MS for Analyzing Antioxidants and Industrial Food Analysis Applications
July 12th 2021LCGC Europe spoke to Hans-Gerd Janssen from the Unilever Foods Innovation Centre in The Netherlands, about the advantages of a novel, rapid method to analyze antioxidants that inhibit oxidation, and he explains that the maturity of GC technology is actually an advantage to the analyst.
Molar Mass Determination of Collagen Peptides
April 1st 2021Hydrolyzed collagens (collagen peptides) are water-soluble products obtained by hydrolysis of natural proteins and used for dietary supplements. A simple GPC/SEC method is described for molar mass determination of collagen peptides, allowing reliable molar mass determination using ultraviolet (UV) detection.
Fully Automated QuEChERS Extraction and Cleanup of Organophosphate Pesticides in Orange Juice
April 1st 2021A fully automated quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) extraction and extract clean-up method is described for analysis of organophosphate pesticides in orange juice. This method uses GC–MS and LC–MS along with an industry standard robotic x,y,z-sampling system.
A Review of MOSH and MOAH Analysis in Food
February 1st 2021An overview of the analytical approaches proposed, from sample preparation to the final chromatographic determination, for the reliable risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) contaminants in food. The analysis of these contaminants in food is a challenging task and requires a comprehensive approach to tackle the cumbersome issues related to their determination.
A Look at Improved Aroma Profiling of Foods by High-Capacity Sorptive Extraction
December 1st 2020High-capacity sorptive extraction combined with thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (TD–GC–MS) can improve on traditional methods for the analysis of VOCs and other trace analytes that contribute to the aroma, flavor, and safety of food products.
Improved Aroma Profiling of Foods by High-Capacity Sorptive Extraction
October 14th 2020This study demonstrates how the technique can improve on traditional methods in the analysis of VOCs that contribute to the aroma and flavour of a breakfast cereal and in identifying other compounds of interest, such as food additives, contaminants, and potentially toxic compounds at trace levels.
An Alternative to Classical SPME: SPME Arrow for the Analysis of Flavour Profiles
March 9th 2020SPME Arrow offers higher adsorption capacity and higher mechanical robustness than traditional solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Traditional SPME also has a small linearity range. In this article, an SPME Arrow fibre and classical SPME fibre were tested for the analysis of flavour profiles for different types of beverages.
A Simplified Method to Determine Total Sulphite Content in Food and Beverages via Ion Chromatography
February 5th 2020Sulphite is a preservative added to a vast range of foods and beverages to prevent browning or oxidation. Some individuals are sensitive to sulphite additives and may experience a range of allergic reactions. Therefore, both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union (EU) laws require that the presence of sulphites be declared on food labels when the concentration exceeds 10 mg/L. Several analytical methods exist to measure sulphite in food and beverages, however, they suffer from repeatability issues, and can be quite cumbersome to perform. A patent has been filed for an innovative, fast, and accurate ion chromatographic (IC) method based on direct current (DC) mode electrochemical detection. This article explains more.