GERSTEL

The last AppNote in this Newsletter shows how liquid-liquid extraction of xylazine and medetomidine in plasma and urine can be fully automated and seamlessly combined with LC-MS/MS analysis. All critical steps - including extraction, mixing, centrifugation, evaporation, and solvent exchange - are performed by the MPS, enabling high-throughput workflows with excellent accuracy and precision at low concentration levels.

This AppNote highlights how salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction (SALLE) can be fully automated for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in beverages. The study demonstrates how automation removes sample-prep bottlenecks while ensuring consistent, robust results across a wide range of beverage matrices.

This AppNote demonstrates how liquid-liquid extraction for fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in infant formula can be reliably automated in accordance with AOAC® 2012.13. Using the GERSTEL MPS, critical timing, mixing, and reagent addition steps are precisely controlled, ensuring reproducible and robust results.

This AppNote shows how manual liquid-liquid extraction can be directly translated into a fully automated workflow using the GERSTEL MPS. The result: highly reproducible data, reduced solvent exposure, and far less hands-on time for laboratory staff. Even complex steps such as mixing, evaporation, and reconstitution are handled reliably - making LLE more efficient and better suited for routine analysis.

Fully automated determination of 3-MCPD, 2-MCPD and glycidol esters in edible oils using ISO 18363-4 with automated sample preparation and GC-MS/MS detection.

The GERSTEL TVOC Wizard streamlines and accelerates VDA 278 material emissions data processing by combining automated workflows, advanced deconvolution, and integrated NIST-based compound identification. Complex chromatograms—often dominated by co-eluting peaks—are reliably resolved using MCR-AR Targeted algorithms, while retention indices and customizable process steps ensure standard-compliant, high-quality results. The software eliminates error-prone manual transfers, increases data consistency, and delivers clear, customizable VOC and FOG reports aligned with industry requirements.

This method showcases a precise, automated workflow for determining methylene chloride in indoor air using thermal desorption GC-MS and GERSTEL’s ISDP module. Automated gaseous internal standard addition ensures highly reproducible tube spiking, while optimized TD and GC-MS parameters provide sensitive and stable quantification—well below OSHA exposure limits. The approach enables accurate baseline monitoring in laboratories, offices, and industrial environments where regulatory compliance and worker protection are essential.

The GERSTEL TVOC Wizard streamlines and accelerates VDA 278 material emissions data processing by combining automated workflows, advanced deconvolution, and integrated NIST-based compound identification. Complex chromatograms—often dominated by co-eluting peaks—are reliably resolved using MCR-AR Targeted algorithms, while retention indices and customizable process steps ensure standard-compliant, high-quality results. The software eliminates error-prone manual transfers, increases data consistency, and delivers clear, customizable VOC and FOG reports aligned with industry requirements.

Dynamic Focusing enables cryogen-free trapping of VOCs and VVOCs from ambient air, delivering method-compliant sensitivity and precision for TO-17 and ISO 16000-6.

Growing concern over artificial sweeteners has underscored the need to better understand their impact on human metabolism and health. Researchers at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) have developed a robust workflow to detect sugar alcohols and related metabolites in biological samples. This article highlights their latest findings and demonstrates how GC– MS/MS, in combination with automated sample preparation and dried blood spot (DBS) analysis, is evolving into a powerful approach for studying sweetener metabolism in a holistic, system-wide context.

Webinar Date/Time: Tue, Sep 2, 2025 2:00 PM CEST (8:00 AM EDT)

Aroma analysis is of paramount importance in the plant-based meat replacement industry. The ability to replicate flavors and mimic real meat is vital in appealing to consumers. To capture the full aroma profiles of cooked meat, analysts need dynamic purge techniques, such as dynamic headspace (DHS) sampling. The considerable water content in meat and other food brings risk of moisture build-up in the sorbent tube, potentially disrupting the TD-GC-MS analysis. An automated DHS option with dry purge feature, can effectively address this issue, as illustrated here using cooked ground beef and plant-based meat as examples. A workflow for optimizing DHS settings relevant to this study is presented. The aroma profiles of cooked ground beef and plant-based meat are analyzed and compared.

This work presents an Automated Sample Preparation procedure for MOSH/MOAH analysis of Seasoning Oils. We compare results from a manual epoxidation procedure compliant with DIN 16995 with results based on fully automated sample preparation (epoxidation and saponification) compliant with ISO 20122. In both cases, online clean-up via activated aluminum oxide (AlOx) are used to remove interfering n-alkanes from the MOSH fraction during the HPLC run. Automated data evaluation using a dedicated software (GERSTEL ChroMOH) is presented.

A methodology is presented for the determination of flavor compounds in dietary supplements using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE). Quantitation is accomplished by automating the spiking of Tenax-TA® filled sorbent tubes. A retention time index (RTI) standard is also introduced. The GERSTEL Internal Standard/Dry Purge Plus (ISDP+) module automates spiking of standards, internal standards, or a retention index mix and is used to dry purge sorbent tubes to remove excess water or solvent, that may adversely affect the trapping and transfer of analytes to the GC column.

In this work, a robotic sampler is used to automate the complete extraction, introduction, and LC-MS/MS analysis workflow for determination of neonicotinoid compounds in honey samples.

Automating epoxidation, saponification and data processing in MOSH/MOAH analysis of seasoning oil extracts is shown to improve efficiency and reproducibility

Sensory Directed Analysis quickly identifies off-odors associated with lipid oxidation in food products such as edible oils and fats. Automated solventless extraction of food products is carried out using DHS or direct thermal extraction. This is followed by a concentration step and GC-O/MS determination of odors. The use of olfactory and MS detection enables the simultaneous determination of sensory-active regions of the chromatogram and mass spectral identification of associated compounds. The dedicated evaluation software ensures an efficient identification of the off-odors based on the GC-O/MS data.

Fully automated method for 3-MCPD and Glycidol determination in edible oil by GC-MS, based on the widely used methods ISO 18363-1, AOCS Cd 29c-13, and DGF C-VI 18 (10). The automated GC-MS determination of 3-MCPD and glycidol in edible oils with evaporation step and GC column backflush ensures low LODs by eliminating excess derivatization reagent for improved method stability and system ruggedness.

Fully automated method for 3-MCPD, 2-MCPD and Glycidol determination in Edible Oil and Fat based on ISO 18363-4 - Zwagerman/Overman with validation data. A recent upgrade to PTV injection has further improved the quality and robustness of results. Fatty acid esters of 3- and 2-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD-e, 2-MCPD-e) and glycidol (Gly-e) are process contaminants that are formed, for example, when edible oils and fats are refined. After ester cleavage during digestion in the human body they pose a relevant health risk and therefore need to be determined in edible oils and fats and in fat containing food.

The AppNote describes the fully automated determination of MOSH/MOAH in Food and Packaging extracts following DIN EN 16995. Industrial production, processing and transportation invariably put food at risk of contamination with MOSH/MOAH. To ensure a reasonable cost benefit balance, high laboratory productivity and good quality of results, leading contract laboratories increasingly strive to automate their processes. An example is the determination of MOSH/MOAH using a LC-GC-FID Coupling Platform. Depending on the sample matrix, additional automated sample preparation by aluminum oxide clean-up, epoxidation, and/or saponification is necessary prior to analysis. The dedicated evaluation software integrates the complex MOSH/MOAH chromatograms accurately and reproducibly.

Volatile flavor and aroma compounds are extracted and determined in e-liquids for regulatory compliance purposes using SBSE-TD-GC-MS, in an efficient solvent-free workflow.

VOCs collected from air onto a sorbent packed tube are released by thermal desorption and focused for GC-MS determination using the novel cryogen free dynamic focusing

Monitoring of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in air is successfully performed by the US EPA using Thermal Desorption-GC/MS.

Novel Thermal Desorption-GC/MS method for determination of formaldehyde using PFPH, automatically loaded onto Tenax TA adsorbent, as derivatization agent.

GERSTEL TD 3.5+ Thermal Desorber successfully passes method VDA278 system performance test for automobile material emissions increasing sample capacity and throughput.

VOCs collected from air onto a sorbent packed tube are released by thermal desorption and focused for GC-MS determination using the novel cryogen free dynamic focusing

Passive sampling of plant volatiles using TF-SPME and GERSTEL Twister, respectively, is compared with active sampling onto PDMS foam- and TenaxTA-filled Tubes

Lipid oxidation generates off-odors in food, edible oils, and fats. DHS or Thermal Extraction-GC–MS/O using Sensory Directed Analysis quickly identifies off-odors

An analytical approach combined with PCA is compared to sensory-directed analysis (SDA) for differentiating honey from multi-floral, wildflower, and clover sources

Determination of flavors in smoothies using standard- and solvent-swollen Twister® stir bars, liquid desorption, and LVI-GC/MS for enhanced recovery of polar compounds