It's a Trapp!
To protect the unique trappist brews, a programme funded by the European Commission has attempted to develop methods that would identify the real thing.
Trappist beers are brewed by monasteries in Belgium and The Netherlands. These brewhouses have existed across Europe since the Middle Ages, but only seven remain active. Authentic Trappist beer is brewed within the walls of one of these monasteries, with profits going to charity. However, the popularity of the beers has led other brewers to trade on the name and imagery associated with abbey-style beers. To protect the unique brews, a programme funded by the European Commission has attempted to develop methods that would identify the real thing; the findings were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.1
The study assessed the use of LC–MS profiling and multivariate data analysis to identify a selected Trappist beer from 232 others. Fingerprints for the beers were developed and classified and according to the study the selected beer was clearly distinguished from beers of different brands. Further analysis of the fingerprints identified the most distinctive variables, which were reported to be sufficient for classification of the beers even in a simplified, unsupervised model. The researchers concluded that the results can easily be applied to different matrices and confirm the effectiveness of LC–MS profiling in combination with multivariate data analysis for the characterization of food products.
1. E. Mattarucchi et al., J. Agric. Food Chem., 58(23), 12089–12095 (2010).
This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.
LCGC’s Year in Review: Highlights in Liquid Chromatography
December 20th 2024This collection of technical articles, interviews, and news pieces delves into the latest innovations in LC methods, including advance in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), and multidimensional LC.
Next Generation Peak Fitting for Separations
December 11th 2024Separation scientists frequently encounter critical pairs that are difficult to separate in a complex mixture. To save time and expensive solvents, an effective alternative to conventional screening protocols or mathematical peak width reduction is called iterative curve fitting.
Mobile Phase Buffers in Liquid Chromatography: A Review of Essential Ideas
December 11th 2024In this installment of "LC Troubleshooting," Dwight Stoll discusses several essential principles related to when and why buffers are important, as well as practical factors, such as commonly used buffering agents, that are recommended for use with different types of detectors.
The Chromatographic Society 2025 Martin and Jubilee Award Winners
December 6th 2024The Chromatographic Society (ChromSoc) has announced the winners of the Martin Medal and the Silver Jubilee Medal for 2025. Professor Bogusław Buszewski of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland, has been awarded the prestigious Martin Medal, and the 2025 Silver Jubilee Medal has been awarded to Elia Psillakis of the Technical University of Crete in Greece.
