INDIAN FOOD SURAKSHAA(SAFETY) APPLICATION BOOK

Significance of the Topic

Food safety in India has become critical following high-profile contamination incidents involving heavy metals and undeclared additives. To protect consumers and maintain market confidence, food testing laboratories must rapidly expand their scope and throughput. Integrated workflows for multi-residue screening, method validation, and quality assurance are essential to address regulatory requirements set by FSSAI and international bodies.

Objectives and Study Overview

This application compendium by Waters aims to guide Indian food testing laboratories in developing, extending, and validating analytical methods for a wide range of food matrices. It presents practical workflows and case studies spanning pesticides, mycotoxins, veterinary drugs, natural toxins, beverages, and colorants. Key goals include:

• Enhancing sample throughput for diverse commodities (grains, fruits, vegetables, animal products).
• Implementing multi-class, multi-residue methods at regulatory limits.
• Demonstrating method transferability and flexible scope accreditation.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Core workflows leverage Waters’ advanced UPLC/MS and HPLC technologies coupled with intuitive software and sample preparation tools:

• Chromatography and detection: ACQUITY UPLC H-Class, Arc and Alliance HPLC systems; Xevo TQ-S/TQD tandem quadrupole MS; ACQUITY QDa single-quadrupole MS; ACQUITY FLR and PDA detectors.
• Software: MassLynx MS control; IntelliStart automated tuning; QuanOptimize for parameter optimization; Quanpedia method library; TargetLynx XS for data processing; RADAR for full-scan background monitoring.
• Sample preparation: QuEChERS extraction using DisQuE dispersive products; Oasis PRiME HLB SPE for phospholipid/fat removal; mycotoxin immunoaffinity columns; AflaTest cleanup kits.
• Quality systems: Compliance with NABL accreditation, ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 9001, Codex guidelines (CAC/GL 40-1993, 71-2009), EC 2002/657/EC.

Key Results and Discussion

Pesticides: Multi-residue methods achieved LOQs of 0.01–0.05 mg/kg using UPLC-MS/MS in rice, chili, okra, and fruit juices. Rapid dilute-and-shoot or QuEChERS workflows offered high recoveries and low matrix effects.
Mycotoxins: Simultaneous quantification of up to 12 mycotoxins in maize and animal feeds demonstrated S/N ratios >1 000 at regulatory limits; aflatoxin analysis without derivatization was completed in under 4 minutes with FLR detection.
Veterinary drugs: Chloramphenicol in chicken quantified at 0.3 µg/kg using SPE cleanup and Xevo TQD with RADAR; aminoglycosides in milk and meat detected at 10 µg/kg with 4–7 minute UPLC/MS/MS runs.
Beverages: Caramel-by-product analysis (2- and 4-methylimidazole) by HILIC-MS; screening of 375 pesticides in juice by dilute-and-shoot; simultaneous quantitation of 12 water-soluble vitamins in <8 minutes using QDa detection.
Colorants: Prohibited Sudan dyes in chili powder detected at 0.5 ppb and triphenylmethane dyes in shrimp at 0.1 ppb with robust recoveries.

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Method

• Consolidated multi-residue analyses reduce method count and instrument idle time.
• Automated software tools accelerate method setup, tuning, and data processing.
• Flexible scope accreditation enables rapid introduction of new analytes and matrices.
• High sensitivity and selectivity meet stringent FSSAI and international regulations.
• Robust sample preparation protocols enhance reproducibility and throughput across diverse food types.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Emerging needs include expansion to novel contaminants (nanomaterials, allergens), high-resolution MS workflows for non-target screening, and integration of AI-driven data interpretation. Further miniaturization and automation of sample preparation, coupled with cloud-based LIMS integration, will support real-time compliance monitoring and global trade requirements.

Conclusion

The Waters application book provides a comprehensive roadmap for Indian food laboratories to enhance food safety testing. Through integrated chromatography, mass spectrometry, and streamlined workflows, laboratories can achieve high-throughput, multi-class analyses with confidence in quality and compliance.

Reference

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Indian Food Surakshaa (Safety) Application Book. Waters Corporation; 2015.
• ISO/IEC 17025:2005. General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
• Codex Alimentarius Commission. CAC/GL 40-1993. Guidelines on Good Laboratory Practice in Pesticide Residue Analysis.