PROGRAM - 4th International Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS (RAFA)

Significance of the Topic

Modern food analysis methods play a crucial role in ensuring safety, quality and authenticity of foodstuffs. Advances in chromatographic, spectrometric, molecular and sensor technologies enable laboratories and industry to detect contaminants, verify geographic and botanical origin, monitor nutrient and bioactive compound profiles, and address emerging threats such as nanoparticles or novel toxins. This symposium convenes experts to share cutting-edge methods and foster harmonised approaches across research, quality control and regulatory contexts.

Goals and Overview of the Symposium

This 4th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis brings together scientists, regulators and industry stakeholders to:

• Present novel analytical workflows and instrumentation;
• Compare strategies for contaminant screening, traceability and allergen detection;
• Discuss multi‐residue and high‐throughput approaches;
• Highlight regulatory challenges and EU/US legislative developments;
• Encourage knowledge exchange through workshops, vendor seminars and poster sessions.

Methodological Approaches and Instrumentation

Key analytical platforms showcased include:

• Liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole or high-resolution MS (LC-MS/MS, LC-QTOF, Orbitrap, UHPLC-TOF) for multi-residue screening of pesticides, drugs, mycotoxins and process contaminants;
• Gas chromatography with tandem MS, time-of-flight detection or multidimensional GC×GC-TOF for PAHs, PCBs, alkylphenols and volatiles;
• Direct ambient ionisation (DART), MALDI-MS and nanoESI for rapid fingerprinting;
• Vibrational spectroscopy (NIR, MIR, Raman, FTIR) and NMR for compositional and structural fingerprinting, metabolomics;
• Surface plasmon resonance, flow cytometry and biosensors for bioanalytical screening of allergens and toxins;
• Advanced sample preparation (QuEChERS, SPE, ASE, microextraction, molecularly imprinted polymers) to improve selectivity and throughput.

Main Themes and Discussion

The symposium addressed:

• Chemical food safety control: monitoring of perfluorinated compounds, pesticides, veterinary drugs, process-induced toxins (acrylamide, furan, 3-MCPD esters) and heavy metals;
• Bioanalytical strategies: immunoassays, aptamer tests, biosensor arrays and cell-based assays for rapid screening of contaminants and allergens;
• Food authenticity and traceability: stable isotope, elemental profiling, DNA barcoding, mass-spectrometric fingerprinting to verify geographic and botanical origins, detect adulteration (olive oil, honey, meat, wine);
• Emerging technologies: food metabolomics, nanoparticles in food, transcriptomic approaches for safety assessment;
• Allergen detection: multiplex assays, lateral flow tests, LC-MS/MS quantification of milk, egg, gluten, peanut, lupine, casein;
• Flavour and quality markers: PTR-MS, electronic nose, GC-olfactometry, PTR-MS and HS-SPME for aroma profiling;
• Regulatory and proficiency testing aspects: EU and US legislative updates, reference material development, interlaboratory studies.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced laboratory capability by adopting high-throughput multi-residue methods and streamlined sample preparation;
• Improved food safety and compliance through more sensitive, selective and faster screening protocols;
• Stronger traceability frameworks supported by molecular and isotopic markers;
• Better management of emerging risks such as nanoparticles, novel toxins and allergens;
• Cross-sector collaboration fostered between academia, industry and regulators.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

• Integration of omics (metabolomics, transcriptomics) with traditional analyses for comprehensive food profiling;
• Automation and miniaturisation of sample preparation and data processing;
• Wider use of portable and in-line sensors (spectroscopic, biosensors) for on-site monitoring;
• Application of machine learning and chemometrics to extract patterns from complex datasets;
• Expanding reference material libraries and harmonised standards to support global trade and regulatory oversight.

Conclusion

The RAFA 2009 symposium highlighted the rapid evolution of analytical technologies and their critical role in safeguarding food quality, authenticity and safety. Ongoing collaboration, standardisation and innovation will be essential to address future challenges and ensure consumer confidence in the global food supply.