Water Analysis in Food and Beverage

Significance of Water Analysis

Water analysis is critical in food and beverage to ensure safety, monitor pollution, and comply with regulations. Contaminants such as disinfection by-products, volatile organics, microbial pathogens, metals, and additives can affect health and product quality.

Objectives and Overview

This document presents Sigma-Aldrich solutions for water testing from development to quality control. It covers certified reference materials, HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis of VOCs per ISO 17943, chromogenic media for Clostridium perfringens, headspace SPME method for MCHM, and UHPLC analysis of B vitamins.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• HS-SPME followed by GC-MS for headspace extraction and quantitation of > 60 VOCs.
• Interlaboratory validation of ISO 17943 with SPME conditions: DVB/CAR/PDMS fiber, 10 mL sample, 10 min at 40 °C.
• CP ChromoSelect Agar for selective detection of C. perfringens via chromogenic substrates.
• Headspace SPME-GC/MS-SIM extraction for MCHM and PPH in water.
• UHPLC on Titan C18 column (1.9 μm) with acidic aqueous/methanol gradient for rapid separation of nine water-soluble vitamins.

Used Instrumentation

• CTC Combi PAL autosampler.
• VOCOL GC columns (20 m × 0.18 mm, 1.0 μm).
• SPME fibers: DVB/CAR/PDMS, PDMS.
• Agilent 1290 UHPLC system with UV detection.
• GC-MS with EI source and SIM mode.

Main Results and Discussion

• ISO 17943: Recovery 84–118%, reproducibility < 35%, repeatability < 10%.
• C. perfringens: 96.9% specificity on CP ChromoSelect Agar; eliminates confirmation steps.
• MCHM detection: MDL 0.08 μg/L (isomer #1), 0.33 μg/L (isomer #2); PPH degrades in chlorinated matrices.
• UHPLC vitamins: separation in 2.5 min, peak resolution and retention optimized with Titan C18.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Certified reference materials streamline method setup and ensure traceability.
• Automatable SPME methods reduce solvent use and increase throughput.
• Chromogenic media simplify microbial assays without additional confirmation.
• Fast UHPLC protocols support high-throughput vitamin analysis in fortified waters.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Further integration of automated extraction platforms, expansion of high-resolution mass spectrometry, development of multiplex assays for emerging contaminants, and on-site sensor technologies will enhance monitoring capabilities.

Conclusion

Sigma-Aldrich offers comprehensive consumables and reference materials to support safe and reliable water analysis across chemical and microbiological workflows.

References

1. Arthur CL, Pawliszyn J. Anal Chem. 1990;62(19):2145–8.
2. ISO 17943. Water Quality—Determination of Volatile Organic Compounds.
3. ISO 5725-2. Accuracy of Measurement Methods.
4. Koneman EW, et al. Color Atlas and Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology. 5th ed. 1997.
5. Sherris Medical Microbiology. 4th ed. McGraw Hill; 2004.
6. 40 CFR Part 136. Method Detection Limit Procedure.