Accelerating Beverage Quality Control Using HRes Fast-LC

Roberto Troiano and Eric Denoyer, PerkinElmer, Inc.

Recent developments in HRes Fast-LC systems have enabled the use of sub-3 μm stationary phases at higher flow rates and elevated pressures. HRes Fast-LC can provide significant improvements in both resolution and throughput.

Measurement of natural components, additives, and potential toxic species in food and beverage products is necessary to assure consumer safety, but also to assure product quality and product differentiation. The specific levels of components, flavors, and sweeteners in soft-drink beverages impart a unique characteristic to a beverage product and are therefore of great importance to the beverage industry. Because these levels are measured as part of the ongoing QA/QC process, sample throughput is critical in order to support a streamlined manufacturing process.

Experimental

A PerkinElmer® Series 275 HRes™ System, comprised of a binary high-pressure blending (10,000 psi) pump, a high-throughput autosampler with high-pressure injector valve (>10,000 psi), a high-speed UV-VIS detector (50 pts/sec) fitted with a high-efficiency 2.4 μL flow cell, was used. Gradient elution separation was achieved using a Brownlee™ HRes Aqueous DB-C18, 100 mm length × 2.1 mm I.D.-1.9 μm column at 0.75 mL/min, 70 °C and 8600 psi (593 bar); 88% Acetonitrile: 12% O-Phosphoric acid (0.1%) to 30% Acetonitrile 70% O-Phosphoric acid (0.1%). For comparison, conventional gradient elution chromatograms were acquired using a Brownlee Aqueous DB-C18, 250mm length × 4.6mm I.D- 5 μm column at 1.5 mL/min, 30 B0C and 2000 psi (138 bar); 90% Acetonitrile: 10% O-Phosphoric acid (0.1%) to 50% Acetonitrile: 50% O-Phosphoric acid (0.1%). Samples were injected neat after filtration through a 0.45 μm nylon filter.

Figure 1

Results and Conclusions

The chromatograms in Figure 1 demonstrate that an 8× improvement in throughput was achieved with the Series 275 HRes LC System utilizing a column packed with the smaller 1.9 μm packing material. Flavors and sweeteners in soft-drink beverages can be separated with excellent resolution. This technique offers the potential to accelerate QA/QC procedures in the beverage industry.

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