Best of the Week: Meet the Experts in Food Adulteration and Food Fraud

This past week, LCGC International presented a roundtable panel on food authenticity and food fraud research. In addition, our “LCGC Blog” offers Kevin Schug’s thoughts on the benefits (and risks) of artificial intelligence. We also had a discussion with researchers who demonstrated that rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS), combined with machine learning, can be used as a real-time, high-throughput method to successfully classify pork breeds and detect boar taint in both laboratory and slaughterhouse settings, and caught up with Italy’s University of Messina’s Peter Tranchida for an explanation of how cryogenic band compression and GC×GC boost sensitivity while reducing sample preparation demands in complex food analyses. Finally, Caroline West of the University of Orleans (France) highlighted how advances in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) instrumentation are driving greener, more versatile analytical workflows across diverse applications.

This is the Best of the Week.

Meet the Experts in Food Adulteration and Food Fraud

Our roundtable discussion brings together a multi-disciplinary group of experts to address food authenticity and fraud through the lens of separation science and advanced mass spectrometry. By bridging the gap between academic research, regulatory standards-setting, and commercial application, the discussion provides a comprehensive roadmap for protecting the integrity of the global food supply chain.¹

Artificial Intelligence: The Good, The Challenging, and The Terrifying

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming analytical chemistry and many other fields by enabling more powerful data analysis, modeling, and problem-solving, though it requires closer collaboration and better education in data science. While University of Texas at Arlington’s Kevin Schug is optimistic about AI’s potential to revolutionize research and society, he also expresses concern about the risks of advanced AI and emphasize the need for thoughtful oversight and preparation.²

Real-Time Pork Breed and Boar Taint Classification Using REIMS

A recent study explored rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) as a high-throughput, real-time alternative. By analyzing metabolomic fingerprints from pig neck fat, REIMS was combined with multivariate data analysis and machine learning algorithms to successfully classify pork breeds and accurately detect boar taint in both laboratory and slaughterhouse environments. LCGC International spoke to Lieselot Y. Hemeryck and Lynn Vanhaecke, two of the authors of the paper resulting from this work, and their expert colleague, Vera Plekhova, about the study and their findings.³

Peter Tranchida on Cryogenic Band Compression in Food Analysis

Peter Tranchida of the University of Messina (Italy) sits down with LCGC International’s Kate Jones to explain how cryogenic band compression and two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) boost sensitivity while reducing sample preparation demands in complex food analyses.⁴

Caroline West on SFC's Green Promise

At analytica 2026, Caroline West of the University of Orleans (France) addressed the significance of column durability in analytical laboratories, the historical dominance of pharmaceuticals in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) research and application, and the technical challenges encountered when adapting SFC methods to new and emerging fields.⁵

References

1. McKenzie, D.; Elliott, C.; Suman, M. et al. Meet the Experts in Food Adulteration and Food Fraud. ChromatographyOnline website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/meet-the-expert-food-panelists (accessed 2026-04-03)
2. Schug, K. LCGC Blog: Artificial Intelligence: The Good, The Challenging, and The Terrifying. ChromatographyOnline website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/lcgc-blog-artificial-intelligence-the-good-the-challenging-and-the-terrifying (accessed 2026-04-03)
3. Hemeryck, L. Y.; Vanhaecke, l.; Plekhova, V. Real-Time Pork Breed and Boar Taint Classification Using REIMS. ChromatographyOnline website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/real-time-pork-breed-and-boar-taint-classification-using-reims (accessed 2026-04-03)
4. Tranchida, P. Q.; Jones, K. Peter Tranchida on Cryogenic Band Compression in Food Analysis.ChromatographyOnline website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/peter-tranchida-on-cryogenic-band-compression-in-food-analysis (accessed 2026-04-03)
5. West, C.; Jones, K. Caroline West on SFC's Green Promise. ChromatographyOnline website. https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/caroline-west-on-sfc-s-green-promise (accessed 2026-04-03)