Food and Beverage Analysis

Ginseng has been used worldwide for thousands of years. Thought to possess therapeutic effects, it has been marketed as a natural product for the treatment of disease. This article describes how ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) can be coupled with ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) to profile phytochemicals contained within ginseng and confirm quality.

Multi-Toxin Determination in Food – The Power of "Dilute and Shoot" Approaches in LC–MS–MS

In this video from LCGC TV, Luigi Mondello from the University of Messina in Italy reveals his views on the prospect of mass spectrometry eliminating the need for chromatographic separations in the future.

A team of researchers in Spain has examined the use of commercial yeast products in the production of white and rosé sparkling wines.

Preventing environmental contaminants from getting in to the food chain is of paramount importance to us all. Yelena Sapozhnikova, a Research Chemist at the Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Wyndmoor, PA, USA, spoke to LCGC about her research into the development and evaluation of analytical methods for persistent and emerging organic chemical contaminants in food samples.

A team of researchers in Spain has examined the use of commercial yeast products in the production of white and rosé sparkling wines. Using a range of analytical techniques, including gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the team examined four yeast autolysates to find out how they affect the chemical composition, foam, and sensory properties of sparkling wines aged on lees for nine months.

SFE–SFC–MS for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food Products

Torsten C. Schmidt of the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany recently developed an in-tube extraction (ITEX) method for headspace sampling of beer prior to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). In this short video, he explains the principles of the technique and its advantages over other methods.

This application note demonstrates the comprehensive 2D-LC analysis of different types of beer. Nontargeted, multisample analysis (fingerprinting analysis) enabled a classification of the different types of beer analyzed.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the capabilities of gas chromatography (GC) with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) for screening pesticides in fruits and vegetables using a purpose-built accurate-mass database.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOF-MS) can be used to detect trace-level fungicides and compounds responsible for undesirable attributes known as “organoleptic faults” in wine. Of particular interest is the analysis of trace-level fungicides, which are difficult to detect using conventional quadrupole GC–MS techniques without resorting to selected ion monitoring mode. 

Beer from a 1840s shipwreck in the Baltic Sea has been analyzed by a team of scientists at the VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland. Using a variety of chromatography techniques - including gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) coupled to MS - the team compared the beer with modern-day varieties and found they were not too dissimilar.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the capabilities of gas chromatography (GC) with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) for screening pesticides in fruits and vegetables using a purpose-built accurate-mass database.

Analysis of Shipwrecked Beer

Changes to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulations on food labelling, and the strengths and limitations of new and existing methods for the detection of allergens in food are discussed in this article.

Beer is one of the most popular drinks in the world. Based on natural products, quality control to guarantee a product of consistent taste, colour, and composition can be challenging. Amino acids analysis can be used to ensure consistency in the quality of the end-product, and also as an indicator for counterfeiting of branded products. In this article we present a rapid and reliable high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) method to determine amino acids in beer.

Event: 21st International Symposium on Separation Sceinces (21st ISSS 2015)

Kate Mosford of The Column spoke to Miguel Herrero of the Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL-CSIC) at the Spanish National Research Council, in Madrid, Spain, about his research in foodomics-based approaches, the evolution of food analysis, and the benefits of 2D LC in this application.

LCGC recently spoke to Miguel Herrero of the Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL-CSIC) at the Spanish National Research Council, in Madrid, Spain, about his research in foodomics-based approaches, the evolution of food analysis, and the benefits of two-dimensional (2D) liquid chromatography (LC) in this application.

This application note demonstrates how comprehensive 2D-LC can be used to resolve the complex mixture of hydrophilic phenols found in virgin olive oil and investigates differences in the phenol composition of several olive oils.

Kate Mosford of The Column spoke to Rosa Perestrelo of Centro de Química da Madeira located in Madeira University, Portugal, about wine analysis. She reveals the science behind winemaking and offers her tips for selecting the best analytical method.

Vicinal diketones (VDKs) are naturally produced compounds in the fermentation process. The monitoring of VDK levels is of great importance as the concentration of these compounds can greatly alter the flavor of a beverage.

Finding Answers With Foodomics

HPLC and post-column derivatization method for analysis of antioxidants in foods and dietary supplements using Folin-Ciocaltea and 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)- 6-sulfonate (ABTS).

HPLC and post-column derivatization method for analysis of thiamine and its biologically active phosphorylated derivatives in foods and dietary supplements.

HPLC and post-column derivatization method for analysis of thiamine and its biologically active phosphorylated derivatives in foods and dietary supplements.

HPLC and post-column derivatization method for analysis of antioxidants in foods and dietary supplements using Folin-Ciocaltea and 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)- 6-sulfonate (ABTS).

A new study published in the Journal of Chromatography A presents metabolite profiling of tea (Camella sinensis) harvested from the Bulang Mountains in Yunnan, China, using multidimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC×GC–MS) to determine the impact of seasonal changes.

Pesticides can be very effective at protecting food crops; however, there are food safety concerns over the levels of pesticide residues found in foods for human consumption. This article discusses the advantages and limitations of mass spectrometry (MS) applied to the detection of pesticide residues in food.