Contamination scandals will save the LC market

Despite the economic downturn, liquid chromatography (LC) will see significant growth in the coming years thanks to the technique's applicability in food safety testing, according to a market report by publisher Kalorama Information.

The report, Liquid Chromatography Markets (LC, HPLC and UHPLC), claims that although the market will grow at a rate that is slower than historical levels as a result of the economic downturn, it will still expand 5.4% annually through 2013 from $3.4 billion in 2007.

LC is reported to be finding a growing market in food safety testing following various food contamination incidents, including melamine in dairy products and salmonella in peanuts and now pistachios. It is particularly suited for the analysis of these contaminants, because it provides a large amount of information about a complex mixture, enabling the screening, confirmation and quantification of hundreds of components with one analysis.

In 2007, the FDA published methods for analysing melamine content using GC–MS and LC–MS–MS. Instrument companies have followed suit by publishing application notes and marketing solutions for the analysis of melamine and the related compounds.

The report covers LC systems, hardware, software, consumables and related services, with a focus on HPLC, and also includes both analytical and purification applications.

For further information visit: http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=68165&productid=1430149.