May 10th 2024
Michelle Colgrave of Edith Cowan University and Australia’s national science agency is the recipient of the 2024 Harvey W. Wiley Award.
GC–MS Screening for Melamine Adulteration in Baby Formula and Dairy Products
December 2nd 2008Melamine is an industrial chemical with a high nitrogen content that can cause kidney stones and lead to renal failure. In some instances, melamine has been added to baby formula and dairy products as a substitute for protein. This paper presents an efficient and definitive gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method to identify melamine and related compounds based on the released US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) method.
Analysis of PCBs in Food and Biological Samples Using GC-Triple Quadrupole MS–MS
December 2nd 2008This application details a fast, reliable and highly selective trace-level screening method for the quantification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in environmental, food and biological samples, using gas chromatography and a triple stage quadrupole mass spectrometer. The analytical strategy is analogous to the well-established US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Method 1668A.
SPE of Pesticides from Fruit Juices with Carbon Nanotubes
December 1st 2008A research group from the University of La Laguna and ICIA (both in La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain) used multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) medium for extracting eight organophosphorus pesticides from various commercial apple, grape, orange, and pineapple juices.
SPME-GC-MS Analysis of Virgin Olive Oils
December 1st 2008Researchers from the University of Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain) and Arboriculura Mediterranea Mas de Bover (Tarragona, Spain) implemented a factorial experimental design in developing a solid-phase microextraction (SPME)?gas chromatography (GC)?mass spectrometry (MS) method to analyze volatile phenols in virgin olive oils.
SFE Clean-Up of Olive Oil Samples for Herbicide Analysis
September 15th 2008Researchers at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), Ecole Nationale des Sciences Appliquees (Agadir, Morocco), and Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II (Agadir, Morocco) developed a method for screening paraquat and diquat in olive oil samples.
Analysis of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Food Matrices by LC–MS-MS
September 1st 2008In March 2007, several North American manufacturers of pet food voluntarily issued nationwide recall notices for some of their products that were reportedly associated with renal failure in pets. The raw material wheat gluten, used to manufacture the pet food, was imported from China and was identified as the source of contamination.
Multi-Residue Analysis of Pesticides in Fruits Using DisQuE, a Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction Kit
September 1st 2008A new technique, QuEChERS, standing for Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe, is readily accepted by both the AOAC International and the Committee of European Normalization (CEN) for the pesticide residues in foods and agriculture products. Waters DisQuEâ„¢ Dispersive Sample Preparation Kit contains conveniently-packaged centrifuge tubes with pre-weighed sorbents and buffers designed for use with the AOAC official QuEChERS methods.
IC–MS Analysis of Low Molecular Mass Organic Acids in Beverages
September 1st 2008Organic acids are present in many matrices and play crucial roles. Extensive research involving low molecular mass organic acids (LMMOA) has been performed in food chemistry since these acids contribute to the organoleptic properties of food and beverages, including flavor, color, aroma, taste, shelf-life, and health effects. Developing a profiling method to monitor LMMOA levels in raw materials and final products is very desirable. Many reported methods focus on limited numbers of LMMOAs and are incapable of providing a complete LMMOA profile.
Analysis of Deoxynivalenol in Beer
September 1st 2008Mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites of several fungal species, represent food safety issues of high concern. Deoxynivalenol, the most abundant trichothecene mycotoxin, can be found worldwide as a contaminant of wheat, barley, maize and other cereals (1,2). The transmission of deoxynivalenol from barley into beer has been reported in several studies (3,4). Therefore, its levels should be controlled.
Analysis of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Food Matrices by LC–MS–MS
July 2nd 2008In March 2007, several North American manufacturers of pet food voluntarily issued nationwide recall notices for some of their products that were reportedly associated with renal failure in pets. The raw material wheat gluten, used to manufacture the pet food, was imported from China and was identified as the source of contamination.
Researchers Determine 23 Pesticides in Leafy Vegetables Using a GC-MS Method
June 20th 2008Researchers from the Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Analytical and Food Chemistry Department, and Faculty of Food Science and Technology at the University of Vigo (Ourense, Spain) have developed a GC-MS method for determining residues of 12 insecticides and 11 fungicides in leafy vegetables.
Analysis of Deoxynivalenol in Beer
June 1st 2008Mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites of several fungal species, represent food safety issues of high concern. Deoxynivalenol, the most abundant trichothecene mycotoxin, can be found worldwide as a contaminant of wheat, barley, maize and other cereals (1,2). The transmission of deoxynivalenol from barley into beer has been reported in several studies (3,4). Therefore, its levels should be controlled.
Analysis of Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Food Matrices by LC–MS-MS
June 1st 2008In March 2007, several North American manufacturers of pet food voluntarily issued nationwide recall notices for some of their products that were reportedly associated with renal failure in pets. The raw material wheat gluten, used to manufacture the pet food, was imported from China and was identified as the source of contamination.
Automated Sample Cleanup of Olive Oil
June 1st 2008Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) has been used as an effective cleanup procedure for removing high molecular weight interfering molecules such as lipids, pigments, proteins, and polymers before GC or HPLC analysis. The GPC cleanup method has been extensively documented (1–3) and is also recommended in US EPA SW-846 Method 3640A. To demonstrate the efficacy of this method to extract polar and nonpolar substances by using the KNAUER Smartline GPC Cleanup Unit 6500, olive oil samples were investigated by spiking these with different types of organic pollutants, including PAHs, phthalates, phenols, and triazine.
High Sensitivity Analysis of 12 Synthetic Food Colorants by U-HPLC with Diode Array Detection
June 1st 2008The natural colors of the food we eat add greatly to the enjoyment of life. Consequently, the art and science of recreating food's natural colors through the use of synthetic colorants is an important success factor in the food industry.
GC–TOF-MS and DART–TOF-MS: Challenges in the Analysis of soft drinks
May 1st 2008The potential of the time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) to innovate the analysis of soft drinks is described using gas chromatography (GC) hyphenated to TOF-MS and a new type of ion source, direct analysis in real time (DART), coupled to high-resolution TOF-MS. Head-space solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was used to isolate/extract volatile compounds followed by GC–TOF-MS to identify tainted compound in contaminated soft drinks. Direct analysis in real time–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART–TOF-MS) was also used to obtain negative and positive ion profiles of different soft drinks to determine the presence of various compounds, including antimicrobial preservatives, artificial sweeteners, acidulants and saccharides, without any sample preparation and chromatographic separation.
A Comparison of ICP-OES and ICP-MS for the Determination of Metals in Food
May 1st 2008The determination of inorganic elements in food substances is critical for assessing nutritional composition and identifying food contamination sources. The inorganic elements of interest can be divided into two classes: nutritional and toxic. It is important to determine the levels of both sets of elements accurately to assess both the nutritional and the harmful impacts of food substances. Nutritional elements such as Mg, P, and Fe are present at high levels (milligrams per kilogram), while toxic elements such as Pb, Hg, and Cd should be present only at trace levels (nanograms or micrograms per kilogram).
A Simple and Solvent-Free Method for Determining Tetracyclines in Prawns
April 30th 2008A simple and inexpensive sample preparation method followed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was developed to quantify oxytetracycline (OTC), chlortetracycline (CTC), and tetracycline (TC) residues in prawns. The total analytical time, including sample preparation, was 15 min for each sample and no organic solvents were used in the sample preparation or chromatography stages.