In food we trust – the passion of food analysis

Significance of the topic

Ensuring the safety and quality of beer is critical for consumer health, regulatory compliance, and brand reputation. Modern beer analysis supports “farm-to-glass” control by identifying contaminants and verifying purity under stringent European and global standards.

Objectives and overview

This study presents integrated analytical workflows for the detection and quantification of trace elements, mycotoxins, and glyphosate in beer using state-of-the-art Shimadzu instrumentation. Emphasis is placed on sensitivity, throughput, and compliance with EU regulations.

Methodology and instrumentation

• Sample preparation: direct dilution, ultrasonic treatment, acidification (0.1 % HNO3) and internal standard addition for multi-element analysis; simple dilution or FMOC derivatization for glyphosate.
• Trace elements: ICP-MS 2030 with minitorch Argon plasma (RF power 1.2 kW) for ppt-level quantitation of over 70 elements.
• Mycotoxins: HPLC with PDA detection paired with RF-20Axs fluorescence module for simultaneous screening of ten mycotoxins in a 14-minute run.
• Pesticides: Nexera MX UHPLC coupled to LCMS-8060 triple quadrupole MS for glyphosate analysis with and without FMOC derivatization, achieving quantitation down to 10 ng/mL.

Main results and discussion

• Multi-element ICP-MS profiles confirmed compliance with beer purity laws; key elements detected at sub-ppt to ppt concentrations.
• Mycotoxin screening revealed batch-to-batch variability; Ochratoxin A levels approached the EU limit in some samples.
• Glyphosate calibration curves exhibited excellent linearity (r2 > 0.99); both workflows delivered accurate recovery (85–122 %) across diverse beer matrices, with detected concentrations up to ~35 ng/mL.

Benefits and practical applications

• High sensitivity and broad analyte coverage enable comprehensive QA/QC in breweries and contract laboratories.
• Automated data acquisition and reporting accelerate decision-making and reduce manual workload.
• Modular instrumentation allows rapid method adaptation for evolving regulatory requirements and new target compounds.

Future trends and potential applications

• Implementation of high-resolution mass spectrometry for untargeted screening of emerging contaminants.
• Advances in microflow LC and robotic sample preparation to boost throughput and minimize solvent use.
• Expansion into novel analyte classes such as process-related contaminants and trace organic pollutants.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s portfolio of ICP-MS, HPLC-PDA, fluorescence detectors, and LC-MS/MS systems offers robust, sensitive, and high-throughput solutions for ensuring beer safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.

Reference

• Baker DR, Levi M, Capodanno E. Highly Polar Pesticide Analysis in Food Samples by LC-MS/MS, ASMS 2014, Poster WP-351.
• Shimadzu Application News 120. Analysis of Glufosinate, Glyphosate, and AMPA in Drinking Water Using a Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS System. Nov. 2015.