WATERS VITAMIN ANALYSIS SOLUTIONS

Importance of Vitamin Analysis in Food and Beverages

Precise quantification of vitamins is crucial for ensuring product quality, regulatory compliance, and nutritional labeling accuracy in the food and beverage industry. Emerging demands for multi‐vitamin profiling require efficient, robust analytical platforms that reduce turnaround times, solvent usage, and laboratory costs.

Study Objectives and Overview

This whitepaper introduces an integrated suite of sample preparation, chromatographic, detection, and informatics solutions from Waters Corporation designed to streamline the analysis of water‐ and fat‐soluble vitamins in complex matrices. The goal is to demonstrate enhanced throughput, sensitivity, and method robustness across typical food and beverage applications.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Sample Preparation: Oasis solid‐phase extraction (SPE) products and protocols for selective, rapid isolation of vitamins from fortified foods and beverages.
• Convergence Chromatography: ACQUITY UPC2 system employing supercritical CO₂ to separate fat‐soluble vitamins (A, D2, D3, E, K1, K2) and carotenoids within a four‐minute run.
• UltraPerformance Liquid Chromatography: ACQUITY UPLC H‐Class and I‐Class systems with PDA, FLR, QDa, Xevo TQD, and Xevo TQ‐S detectors for multi‐analyte separation of water‐soluble vitamins (B‐complex, C), food dyes, and trace impurities in under seven minutes.
• Mass Spectrometry: Integrated detection using QDa for simplicity, Xevo TQD for routine LC/MS/MS quantitation, and Xevo TQ‐S with StepWave and ScanWave technologies for unmatched sensitivity and spectral information in challenging matrices.
• Data Management: Empower 3, MassLynx, Paradigm, and NuGenesis informatics platforms for streamlined data acquisition, processing, compliance, and scientific search capabilities.

Key Results and Discussion

The combined workflow delivers:

• High‐throughput vitamin profiling (7–14 analytes) with run times as low as 4–7 minutes.
• Improved chromatographic resolution, peak symmetry, and method reproducibility across multiple food and beverage matrices.
• Up to 95% reduction in solvent consumption and associated costs.
• Rapid method transfers from HPLC to UPLC systems with minimal revalidation.
• Enhanced detection limits (low ng/mL) with mass spectrometric confirmation and routine generation of certificates of analysis.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Streamlined laboratory workflows with fewer assays and consolidated platforms for water‐ and fat‐soluble vitamins.
• Cost-effective analysis through reduced consumables, solvent usage, and instrument downtime.
• Scalable solutions from single‐lab implementations to enterprise‐wide networks with controlled data management and compliance support.
• Accessible interfaces enabling analysts of all skill levels to perform advanced UPLC/MS methods without extensive training.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Ongoing developments anticipate:

• Further miniaturization and green chromatography techniques leveraging supercritical fluids to minimize environmental impact.
• Integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning for automated method optimization and predictive maintenance.
• Expanded compound libraries and informatics connectivity to support personalized nutrition and real‐time quality monitoring.
• Enhanced multiplexing capabilities for simultaneous analysis of vitamins, contaminants, and bioactives in a single assay.

Conclusion

The presented Vitamin Analysis Solutions create a comprehensive, flexible platform that meets the stringent demands of modern food and beverage laboratories. By combining advanced sample preparation, high‐resolution chromatography, sensitive detection, and robust informatics, manufacturers can achieve reliable, cost‐effective vitamin quantitation with faster turnaround and improved sustainability.