GC-MS: The Superior Forensic Tool
In the wake of the recent dioxin poisoning scare in Europe that sparked import bans on some German farm products, GC-MS is emerging as the perfect analytical tool for forensic analysis.
In the wake of the recent dioxin poisoning scare in Europe that sparked import bans on some German farm products, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is emerging as the perfect analytical tool for forensic analysis. In fact, its simplicity, sensitivity and effectiveness in separating and identifying components, has made GC–MS one of the most important tools in analytical chemistry today.
Where other analytical techniques fundamentally determine the quantitative issues arising from analysis of a specific sample - answering the question “how much is present?” - GC–MS is one of a very few techniques able to qualitatively identify the actual nature of chemicals in the sample. It answers the question “What molecules are present?”
RAFA 2024 Highlights: Cutting-Edge Chromatography Techniques for Food Safety and Food Analysis
November 18th 2024An illuminating session focusing on progress in analytical techniques used in food analysis took place on Wednesday 6 November 2024 at RAFA 2024 in Prague, The Czech Republic, including a talk on the analysis of 1000 toxins in 10 minutes.
Analytical Challenges in Measuring Migration from Food Contact Materials
November 2nd 2015Food contact materials contain low molecular weight additives and processing aids which can migrate into foods leading to trace levels of contamination. Food safety is ensured through regulations, comprising compositional controls and migration limits, which present a significant analytical challenge to the food industry to ensure compliance and demonstrate due diligence. Of the various analytical approaches, LC-MS/MS has proved to be an essential tool in monitoring migration of target compounds into foods, and more sophisticated approaches such as LC-high resolution MS (Orbitrap) are being increasingly used for untargeted analysis to monitor non-intentionally added substances. This podcast will provide an overview to this area, illustrated with various applications showing current approaches being employed.
Pharmaceutical excipients, such as polyethylene glycol-based polymers, must be tested for the presence of ethylene oxide (EtO) and 1,4-dioxane as part of a safety assessment, according to USP Chapter <228>.
