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This application note presents a gradient method using a core–shell column for the determination of various substances in Bourbon vanilla extracts as well as in natural and artificial vanilla flavours. The aim is to compare the ingredients to achieve proof of the authenticity of Bourbon vanilla. By applying the Knauer AZURA Analytical system, a very short analysis time and low eluent consumption could be achieved. The high speed and reliability of the method makes it well-suited for routine analyses in food control.

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Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) are naturally occurring mycotoxins produced by fungi on agricultural crops. They are classified as carcinogenic and can pose a significant risk to human health if consumed. Although aflatoxin B1 is the most potent carcinogen, the main concern in milk is its hydroxylated metabolite, aflatoxin M1. To ensure the safety of milk, the US FDA established a tolerance of 0.5 µg/kg for aflatoxin M1 in milk, while the EU set a limit of 0.05 µg/kg in raw milk and 0.025 µg/kg in infant formula. A simple and effective method using polymeric solid-phase extaction (SPE) and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS) is presented for the analysis of aflatoxins in milk at the low concentrations required.

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Amino acids are of vital importance for human life. They serve as transport or storage media for metabolic pathways. Amino acids are components of protein-containing foods such as milk and milk products. Eight amino acids are thought to be essential for humans, meaning that they must be absorbed from foods containing animal proteins or a suitable combination of plant proteins, because the human body can’t synthesize them. Determination of the composition and content of amino acids in milk products is therefore an important measure in ensuring quality and nutritional value.

Ultra high resolution, accurate mass (UHRAM) mass spectrometry, based on the Thermo ScientificTM OrbitrapTM technology, is a powerful new approach to high throughput screening and quantitation in complex sample matrices. To learn more about how UHRAM is used in the Million Metabolome Project, an ambitious milestone for Exposome Research, LCGC talked with Dean Jones of Emory University.

Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines a myth as “an ill-founded belief held uncritically, especially by an interested group.” Could that group be misinformed chromatographers? Find out by clicking through the slideshow.

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Temperature affects not only retention but also relative retention in gas chromatography (GC) and therefore, when we change temperature, we also change the selectivity of the separation. This is true as we alter the isothermal separation temperature, but also as we change the slope of the temperature program gradient.

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A new study hopes to highlight that poison was used as far back as 30,000 years ago. Dr Valentina Borgia, a specialist in Palaeolithic hunting weapons and Marie Curie Fellow at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, is using liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (LC–MS) to analyze prehistoric weaponry.

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Methadone, a drug prescribed for managing the symptoms of heroin withdrawal and chronic pain, has been linked to the formation of the carcinogenic compound N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in drinking water. Understanding which compounds contribute to NDMA formation in water could lead to tailored wastewater treatment approaches to remove the risk of contamination.

Novasep (Pompey, France) has signed two partnership agreements with Allied Laboratories (Kobe, Japan) and AR Brown (Tokyo, Japan) to extend its presence in Japan.

Marine polychaetes are a common type of annelid worm widely spread in marine environments. Raquel Fernandez, University of Copenhagan, spoke to LCGC about her innovative approach to developing an untargeted method to monitor polychaetes and assess their potential use in environmental monitoring of oil spills.