From Lab to Table: Expert Interviews on Food and Beverage Analysis

Ensuring the safety of food products to contributes to public health and consumer confidence. Chromatography plays a pivotal role in this field by enabling the separation, identification, and quantification of various compounds that impact food quality, safety, and authenticity. Techniques like gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) are widely used to analyze volatile and non-volatile components, such as pesticides, mycotoxins, flavor compounds, and nutritional markers. Advances in chromatographic methods, including the integration with mass spectrometry (MS) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME), allow for more sensitive and comprehensive profiling of complex food matrices.

In “From Lab to Table: How Chromatography is Shaping Food Analysis,” we spotlight the latest chromatographic research in food analysis, showing how chromatographic techniques are advancing this critical industry. Below is a compilation of several Q&A interviews conducted with subject matter experts and leading researchers in the field.

Analysis of Pesticides in Foods Using GC–MS/MS: An Interview with José Fernando Huertas-Pérez

In this interview, José Fernando Huertas-Pérez, who is a specialist in chemical contaminants analytics and mitigation at the Nestlé Institute for Food Safety and Analytical Sciences at Nestlé Research in Switzerland, discusses his recent research that describes a method for quantifying multi-residue pesticides in food matrices using gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS).

Foods and Contaminants Analysis Using Multidimensional Gas Chromatography: An Interview with Philip J. Marriott and Michelle S. S. Amaral

In this interview, Philip J. Marriott and Michelle S. S. Amaral from the Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science, School of Chemistry, Monash University, in Clayton, Victoria, Australia, discuss their recent review published in Analytical Chemistry on the subject of analysis of food contaminants using multidimensional gas chromatography.

Investigating Changes in Flavonoid Metabolite Profiles in Coconut Water with LC-MS/MS

Research conducted by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (Wenchang, China) investigated the changes in flavonoid metabolite profiles in coconut water from two varieties, Wenye No.5 (W5) and Hainan local coconut (CK), across six developmental stages, utilizing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) in their work. LCGC International spoke to Wenrao Li and Chengxu Sun, corresponding authors of the paper that resulted from this work, about their team’s findings, which have repercussions in yielding coconut-based products offering superior nutritional and functional properties.

Development and Validation of an Analytical Method for Determining Citrinin in Red Rice and Red Yeast Rice-Based Food Supplements by UHPLC–MS/MS

Citrinin, a hepato-nephrotoxic mycotoxin produced by fungal species, plays a crucial role in the fermentation of red rice to produce red yeast rice-based food supplements, which represent the primary source of human exposure to this contaminant. A recent study conducted by the University of Valencia and the Public Health Laboratory of Valencia (Spain) developed and validated a simple and sensitive analytical method for the citrinin determination in these products. LCGC International spoke to Olga Pardo Marin and Francesc A. Esteve-Turrillas of the University of Valencia, the corresponding authors of the resulting paper based on this research, about their team’s efforts.

Analyzing Polyphenols and Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate with RP-HPLC

To determine sample patterns and identify possible markers of quality, variety, or origin to deal with authentication or fraud detection issues, researchers from the University of Barcelona’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Chemistry characterized dark chocolate samples according to geographical origin, cocoa variety, and cocoa content. LCGC International spoke to Sonia Sentellas, corresponding author of the paper that resulted from her team’s work, about their findings.

Using Chromatography to Study Microplastics in Food: An Interview with Jose Bernal

LCGC International sat down with Jose Bernal to discuss his latest research in using pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS) and other chromatographic techniques in studying microplastics in food analysis.

The Use of SPME and GC×GC in Food Analysis: An Interview with Giorgia Purcaro

LCGC International sat down with Giorgia Purcaro of the University of Liege to discuss the impact that SPME and comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is having on food analysis.

Quantifying Catechins in Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Tea Leaves with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

A recent study conducted at the Department of Biotechnology of Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (Punjab, India) examined the isolation and characterization of catechin-producing endophytic fungi isolated from tea leaves, their chemical characterization, and associated bioactivities. LCGC International spoke to Priyankar Dey of the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology about the work done by his group, and the paper that resulted from it.

Analysis of Methionine and Selenomethionine in Food Using GC–MS: An Interview with Beatrice Campanella

In this interview, Beatrice Campanella from the Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds (ICCOM) in Pisa, Italy, which is part of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), discusses her recent research work published in Food Chemistry on the subject of a method for quantifying methionine and selenomethionine in food matrices using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with aqueous derivatization by triethyloxonium salts (1).

References

1. Workman, Jr., J. Analysis of Pesticides in Foods Using GC–MS/MS: An Interview with José Fernando Huertas-Pérez. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/analysis-of-pesticides-in-foods-using-gc-ms-ms-an-interview-with-jos-fernando-huertas-p-rez (accessed 2024-12-13).
2. Workman, Jr., J. Foods and Contaminants Analysis Using Multidimensional Gas Chromatography: An Interview with Philip J. Marriott and Michelle S. S. Amaral. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/foods-and-contaminants-analysis-using-multidimensional-gas-chromatography-an-interview-with-philip-j-marriott-and-michelle-s-s-amaral (accessed 2024-12-13).
3. Chasse, J. Investigating Changes in Flavonoid Metabolite Profiles in Coconut Water with LC-MS/MS. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/investigating-changes-in-flavonoid-metabolite-profiles-in-coconut-water-with-lc-ms-ms(accessed 2024-12-13).
4. Chasse, J. Development and Validation of an Analytical Method for Determining Citrinin in Red Rice and Red Yeast Rice-Based Food Supplements by UHPLC–MS/MS. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/development-and-validation-of-an-analytical-method-for-determining-citrinin-in-red-rice-and-red-yeast-rice-based-food-supplements-by-uhplc-ms-ms (accessed 2024-12-13).
5. Chasse, J. Analyzing Polyphenols and Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate with RP-HPLC. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/analyzing-polyphenols-and-antioxidants-in-dark-chocolate-with-rp-hplc (accessed 2024-12-13).
6. Wetzel, W. Using Chromatography to Study Microplastics in Food: An Interview with Jose Bernal. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/using-chromatography-to-study-microplastics-in-food-an-interview-with-jose-bernal (accessed 2024-12-13).
7. Wetzel, W. The Use of SPME and GC×GC in Food Analysis: An Interview with Giorgia Purcaro. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/the-use-of-spme-and-gc-gc-in-food-analysis-an-interview-with-giorgia-purcaro (accessed 2024-12-13).
8. Chasse, J. Quantifying Catechins in Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Tea Leaves with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/quantifying-catechins-in-endophytic-fungi-isolated-from-tea-leaves-with-high-performance-liquid-chromatography-hplc- (accessed 2024-12-13).
9. Workman, Jr., J. Analysis of Methionine and Selenomethionine in Food Using GC–MS: An Interview with Beatrice Campanella. LCGC International. Available at: https://www.chromatographyonline.com/view/analysis-of-methionine-and-selenomethionine-in-food-using-gc-ms-an-interview-with-beatrice-campanella (accessed 2024-12-13).