Advances in Food Analysis: A Virtual Symposium

Tuesday December 6^th, 2022
Morning session: 1:00pm GMT -3:30pm GMT
Afternoon session: 3:30pm GMT- 4:00pm GMT

Wednesday, December 7^th, 2022
Morning session: 1:00pm GMT -3:00pm GMT
Afternoon session: 3:30pm GMT- 4:00pm GMT

Register for the event to gain free access to all sessions.

Day One

Event Overview:
Food analysis plays a pivotal role in society, and separation scientists are at the heart of developing innovative ways to investigate the foods we eat. In the first session, on Day 1 leading separation scientists will explain how they apply theory and the latest advances in gas chromatography (GC) technology to solve the very difficult challenges that food analysts face. The second session on Day 1 will involve presentations from leading GC vendors involved in food analysis, illustrating how their technologies solve problems and achieve results in practice.

Key Learning Objectives:
• Find out about the latest cutting-edge advances in food analysis
• Discover how GCxGC is being used in MOH analysis
• What role could 3D- and 4D-LC play in food analysis in the future?
• How can low-pressure GC help you to achieve better results faster?
• The sweet smell of sensomics
• Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with GC–MS to characterize Greek olive oil products

Who Should Attend:
Laboratory scientists and researchers involved in food analysis using gas chromatography who wants to learn about the latest research advances in this vibrant area of analytical chemistry and how the latest technologies work in “real world” situations.

Day Two

Event Overview:
Food analysis plays a pivotal role in society, and separation scientists are at the heart of developing innovative ways to investigate the foods we eat. Liquid chromatography is central to this endeavor. In the first session of Day 2, leading separation scientists who are experts in LC will explain how they apply theory and the latest advances in technology to solve the very difficult challenges that food analysts face. The second session on Day 2 will involve presentations from leading liquid chromatography companies involved in food analysis, illustrating how their technologies solve problems and achieve results in practice.

Key Learning Objectives:
Find out about the latest cutting-edge advances in food analysis using LC
Discover the importance of 2D-LC in practice
Learn how to master matrix effects for reliable quantification in mycotoxin analysis
The ingenuity of "targeted" LC–MS/MS analysis for mechanically separated meat products
The latest advances in PFAS analysis

Who Should Attend:
Laboratory scientists and researchers involved in food analysis using liquid chromatography who want to learn about the latest research advances in this vibrant area of analytical chemistry and how the latest LC technologies work in “real-world” situations.

Event Agenda:

Tuesday, December 6th , 2022

Morning session: 1:00 pm – 3:30pm GMT

ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS: GC FOCUS PROGRAMME

1:00 pm GMT
Assessment of Different Column Dimensions in Fast, Low-Pressure GC–MS for Analysis of Pesticides and Environmental Contaminants in Food
Steven J. Lehotay, Lead Scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center

Low-pressure gas chromatography (LPGC) is a simple and effective way to triple or quadruple the typical speed of GC–mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. In LPGC–MS, the vacuum outlet extends all the way up the analytical column to the guard/restrictor column that serves to maintain normal positive inlet pressure conditions for injections. The helium carrier gas under vacuum has viscosity akin to hydrogen, which permits higher optimal flow rate with only a small loss in separation efficiency. The use of a 15 m, 0.53 mm internal diameter (i.d.) (megabore) analytical column is most commonly used in LPGC–MS, but an 8 m, 0.32 mm i.d. (widebore) column can also work well in the application. In this study, Steven Lehotay compared LPGC–MS using the different analytical columns with 1 µm stationary phases each coupled to a 5 m, 0.18 mm i.d. restrictor/guard capillary plus 1 m uncoated integrated capillary at the MS transfer line. The oven temperature program was maximized, and final conditions were optimized in terms of flow rate, injection volume, and amount of analyte protectant used. The ruggedness of the two column configurations was compared by repeated injections over a few days of matrix and solvent calibration curves. The results demonstrated that the widebore column separated the 50 representative pesticides and environmental contaminants with similar separation efficiencies in <7 min compared with <10 min for the megabore configuration, but the latter allowed double the injection volumes to achieve lower detection limits and greater ruggedness and can help in the minimization of sample preparation in food analysis.

1:20pm GMT
Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled with Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry for the Characterization of Greek Olive Products
Artemis Lioupi, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; Biomic AUTh, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece; FoodOmicsGR Research Infrastructure, AUTh Node, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is frequently applied for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in food products, with an emphasis given to quality and authenticity studies. HS-SPME has several advantages over other extraction methods, including amenity to automation and simplicity, and is usually the method of choice, reaching wide application in the field. This presentation describes the development and application of HS-SPME–GC–MS for the analysis of Greek olive products. The obtained data were analyzed using multivariate statistics to identify correlations between VOC profiles, geographical origin, organoleptic evaluation, and/or quality grade. Correlation of the results with those of the organoleptic analysis of virgin olive oils indicated markers with positive/negative contribution.

1:40pm GMT
Three- and Four-Dimensional Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis: When and Why to Exploit?
Peter Q. Tranchida, Associate Professor in Food Chemistry, Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

During the last two decades, there has been a great deal of technological evolution in the field of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC), and in mass spectrometry (MS). Furthermore, mass analyzers can be used in sequence to form two-dimensional MS instruments. Hence, the combination of GC×GC and a single mass analyzer (single quadrupole [QMS], time-of-flight [TOF-MS]) will lead to a three-dimensional (3D) system, whereas the hyphenation of a GC×GC instrument with two mass analyzers in sequence (triple quadrupole [QqQMS]) will lead to a four-dimensional (4D) one. The stacking of analytical dimensions leads to highly powerful instrumentation. In themselves, GC×GC–QMS and GC×GC–TOF-MS are technologies characterized by a high separation power, selectivity, and sensitivity. The addition of an extra MS dimension–GC×GC–QqQMS–will boost selectivity and sensitivity. The present research, based on the use of 3D and 4D methods, aims to provide information on when and why to exploit such approaches in food analysis, with the objective of avoiding mismatches between the analytical challenges and the tool used to resolve them.

2:05pm GMT
Is Artificial Intelligence the Key to Unlock the Future and the Success of Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Chromatography in Food-Omics
Chiara Emilia Cordero, Full Professor of Food Chemistry, Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, University of Turin, Italy

Since its introduction, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) has revealed its potential in many fields, helping scientists to better understand nature’s complexity, facilitating highly informative screenings, supporting markers discovery in omics applications, and offering many opportunities to implement system biology-like strategies for investigation, the so-called integrationist approach. In food “omics”, the analytical platform design and configuration play a key role in achieving the suitable information on the capacity, resolution, and sensitivity required to answer the many questions posed by the application. This contribution deals with the challenging task of designing a multidimensional platform for food metabolomics implemented by an effective data processing workflow. A strategy capable of answering many questions about product qualities (sensory quality, freshness, authenticity, presence of sensory defects) with a single measure realized by combining many analytical dimensions (sample preparation, separation, multiple detection, olfactometry). Within this context, the key role of artificial intelligence (AI) concepts as computer vision (that is, “…a field of AI that enables computers and systems to derive meaningful information from digital images…”) and smelling (for example, AI smelling machine [4] is discussed and proof-of-evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of such “comprehensive” approaches is presented through the author’s research experience on high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

2:25pm GMT
Update on Mineral Oil Hydrocarbon Analysis: New Developments and Remaining Challenges
Andrea Hochegger, Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, TU Graz, Austria

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) are complex mixture of hydrocarbons originating from crude mineral oil. The contamination of food with mineral oil residues is since the first reports in the 1990s a widely discussed problem. Back than the migration from a food contact material into the packed good was considered to be the main issue. However, the debate on those findings broadened afterwards; nowadays we know that all kinds of food and food products can be affected and that the contamination can happen throughout the whole production chain due to the ubiquitous presence of mineral oil derived products in our daily life. In terms of analysis and risk assessment MOH are divided into a saturated and an aromatic fraction. While the mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) are known to accumulate in different tissues of the human body, the mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) may include potential mutagenic and carcinogenic substances. Only recently, the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed published a new statement on MOAH in food for the European union, in with they set enforcement levels to withdraw or recall products from the market, if their MOAH content is above a defined limit of quantification. This talk will focus on the state-of-art analysis using on the one hand the online-coupling of LC-GC-FID to quantify the contamination, on the other hand on the use of multi-dimensional chromatography, for example, 2D-comprehensvie GC×GC as an important technique to verify MOAH findings and determine its composition. Thereby, new developments and advances in the field, such as the automation approaches, as well as remaining challenges and knowledge gaps will be discussed.

2:45pm GMT Live question-and-answer period with all the speakers in the session

3:15 pm-3:30pm GMT Coffee Break

Afternoon session

4:00pm GMT- 4:30 GMT

Cannabis and the Chemistry of QuEChERS
Don Shelly, Consultant, Don Shelly Consulting LLC.

The QuEChERS approach to analyzing challenging matrices can be a powerful tool when used correctly. In this presentation, we will discuss available QuEChERS options for the analysis of cannabis and the chemistry behind each option.

Wednesday, December 7th 2022

Morning session: 1:00pm GMT-3:00pm GMT

ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS: LC FOCUS PROGRAMME

1:00pm GMT
Managing Matrix Effects: The Key for Reliable Quantification for the LC–MS-based Analysis of Mycotoxins and Other Contaminants in Food and Feed
Michael Sulyok, Senior Researcher, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics

Most of the guidelines dealing with method validation have been designed for assays targeting only one or very few structurally related analytes, which often includes removal of the sample matrix by a dedicated clean-up procedure. However, this is not an option for liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)-based methods covering a broad range of target substances with different chemical properties. Therefore, a considerable amount of matrix is co-injected with the analytes, which is known to influence their ionization in the source of the mass spectrometer and thus the analytical signal. In official control analysis of mycotoxins, the gold standard of dealing with those so-called matrix effects is their compensation by using the related stable ¹³C isotope labelled internal standards. However, these are not available for most other mycotoxins that are not addressed by regulatory limits or for analytes belonging to other contaminant classes such as pesticides or veterinary drugs. Most of the related methods therefore aim at reducing matrix effects by simple diluting the sample (with obvious consequences as regards sensitivity) or by application of an unspecific clean-up step like QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe), but a complete elimination of the influence of the matrix is rarely obtained. For this reason, calibration is often based on matrix-matched calibrants rather than on external calibration prepared in neat solvent. However, it might not be the absolute extent of matrix effects in a given matrix but rather their variation between different individual samples (= relative matrix effects) that is the main limitation for the performance of a LC–MS-based multi-method, as these sample-to-sample variations cannot be compensated by calibration matched to extracts deriving from a single sample. Validation data that we have obtained for various agricultural commodities indicate that a significant fraction of the method uncertainty derives from relative matrix effects, highlighting that there is the need for an additional effort to characterize them as an essential part of the validation process. This is not foreseen in current guidelines and might lead to an underestimation of the method uncertainty.

1:20pm GMT
Detection of Mechanically Separated Meat from Poultry in Sausage and Cold Meat by "Targeted" LC–MS/MS Analysis
Stefan Wittke, Head of Laboratory, (Marine) biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven, Bremerhaven, Germany

The use of mechanically separated meat (MSM) from poultry in meat and sausage products is subject to declaration (Food Information Regulation [EU] 1169/2011). Current methods such as microscopy or calcium analysis have proven to be insufficient to ensure specific detection of MSM. Our working hypothesis is that in the production of MSM intervertebral disc and cartilage-specific proteins from chicken, turkey, or pork inevitably enter the product. As a result, these specific proteins should be detectable in sausage or meat products with elevated levels. In this talk, we present results for chicken and turkey as well as for the method validation according to the EU regulation VO (EU) 2017/625.

1:40pm GMT
Challenges and Solutions for Low (ppt/ppb)-Level Analysis of PFAS in Food
Stefan van Leeuwen, Analytical Chemist, Wageningen Food Safety Research, WUR, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous contaminants that may occur in foods from environmental contamination, food processing, or from the water- and fat-repellent food packaging. To ensure the safety of foods, and to explore the exposure of consumers to PFAS, analytical chemists are faced with several challenges. These include the need for very sensitive methods at ppb to low-ppt level, the variety of food matrices that chemists are faced with, and the large number of PFAS with varying physicochemical properties. In this contribution, these challenges will be discussed in more detail. Furthermore, solutions will be provided to help overcome several of these challenges, to facilitate laboratories with the analysis of PFAS in foods.

2:00pm GMT
Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography as a Powerful Tool in Food Analysis
Francesco Cacciola, Associate Professor of Food Chemistry, Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Odontoiatriche e delle Immagini Morfologiche e Funzionali, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

Food and food-related products are rich sources of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and so on. Plenty of studies have been carried out on the chemical characterization of these samples; however, there is still much interest in the detection of novel bioactive compounds. Traditionally, conventional one-dimensional liquid chromatography (1D-LC) has been extensively employed for the characterization of food samples, despite in many cases not providing sufficient resolving power for their determination. Therefore, more powerful analytical technologies for both their characterization and quantification are deemed as mandatory. Thanks to its selectivity and sensitivity, comprehensive two-dimensional LC (LC×LC) involving the coupling of two or more orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal separation systems could be considered a viable alternative capable of detecting minor components. In terms of column combinations, various LC×LC methodologies including normal phase × reversed phase, reversed phase × reversed phase, and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) × reversed phase have been successfully investigated over the last two decades. In this contribution, selected applications of LC×LC in the field of food analysis are reported and discussed.

2:20 -2.50 pm GMT: QA Session

2:50–3:00 pm GMT: Coffee Break

Afternoon Session:

3:30pm GMT- 4:00pm GMT

Rapid and Efficient Amino Acid Analysis of Pet Food Samples
Alicia D. Stell , Product Manager, Organic Solutions Division, CEM Corporation

The nutritional profile, especially protein content, of pet food is of the utmost importance for its testing and formulation. To determine the balance of amino acids in a sample, the protein chains must be first broken down into the constituent amino acids, classically done by heating the sample to 110 °C in sealed tubes with 6 N HCl for up to 24 hours to hydrolyze the proteins chains. In this work, the CEM DiscoverPrep™ Microwave Reaction system was used to hydrolyze dry and wet pet food samples using microwave energy in under 30 minutes through higher temperatures and microwave energy. The resulting hydrolyzed samples were derivatized and analyzed. This rapid and automated process led to high recoveries of amino acids from pet food samples.

For technical support please contact Nicole Valle: nvalle@mjhlifesciences.com

Steven J. Lehotay

Lead Scientist

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, USA

Artemis Lioupi

PhD Candidate

Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; Biomic AUTh, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece; FoodOmicsGR Research Infrastructure, AUTh Node, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI-AUTH), Balkan Center, Thessaloniki-Thermi, Thessaloniki, Greece

Peter Q. Tranchida

Associate Professor in Food Chemistry

Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

Chiara Emilia Cordero

Full Professor of Food Chemistry

Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, University of Turin, ItalyDipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, University of Turin, Italy

Andrea Hochegger

Postdoctoral Researcher

Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry, TU Graz, Austria

Michael Sulyok

Senior Researcher

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics