Food Safety Applications NotebookEnvironmental Contaminants - Environmental Contaminants

Significance of the Topic

Accurate monitoring of food safety hazards—ranging from small-molecule contaminants such as biogenic amines and nitrites to large persistent organic pollutants and mycotoxins—is critical for public health, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance across global food supply chains. Methods that balance sensitivity, selectivity, throughput, and automation directly address challenges of detecting trace analytes in complex matrices like dairy, meat, produce, and environmental samples.

Objectives and Overview of the Application Notebook

This Food Safety Applications Notebook compiles integrated workflows and instrumentation from Thermo Fisher Scientific (formerly Dionex) for liquid and ion chromatography, mass spectrometry, and automated sample preparation. It presents application notes covering:

• Advanced UHPLC and HPLC systems for broad flow-rate compatibility
• Ion chromatography with Reagent-Free™ IC and suppressed conductivity detection
• Single-quadrupole MS coupling for direct analyte identification
• Chromeleon™ 7 software for streamlined data and workflow management
• Process analytical solutions for on-line monitoring
• Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE™) and automated SPE for rapid sample prep

Methodology and Used Instrumentation

• UltiMate 3000 UHPLC+ systems covering nano to semipreparative flow rates with pressures up to 1000 bar and data rates to 200 Hz
• RFIC systems (ICS-1100 to ICS-5000) with electrolytic eluent generation for ion chromatography, paired with integrated pulsed amperometric detection to quantify underivatized biogenic amines and anions
• MSQ Plus and single-quadrupole MS for LC/MS and IC/MS with self-cleaning ion sources and Chromeleon LC/MS software integration
• ASE 200/300 for accelerated sample extraction using high temperature/pressure for matrices such as fish tissue, plant material, cereals, and animal feed
• AutoTrace 280 for automated solid-phase extraction of organic pollutants from water
• Eluent Generator and InGuard sample prep cartridges for on-line IC sample cleanup
• Chromeleon 7 software with eWorkflows for compliance and simplified instrument control

Main Results and Discussion

Key case studies demonstrate method performance across diverse analytes and matrices:

• Biogenic amines in beverages and foods: IC with integrated pulsed amperometry and UV confirmation for tyramine in wines and beers, showing detection limits of tens of µg/L and recoveries of 85–110 %
• Arsenic species in food by ASE + HPLC-ICP-MS: >94 % recoveries of AsB, As(III), As(V), MMA, DMA from seafood, vegetables, and certified reference materials
• POPs (PCBs, OCPs, PCDD/Fs) in tissues and sediments: ASE with selective solvents and sorbents yields results comparable to Soxhlet with 80–120 % recoveries and RSD <10 %
• Perchlorate in vegetation: ASE + IC shows LODs 0.5–8 µg/kg with 95–110 % recoveries, automation of extraction and cleanup
• Phenols in drinking waters: online SPE-HPLC-UV yields MDLs 0.08–0.93 µg/L, recoveries 94–119 % in tap, bottled, and distilled waters
• Nitrate and nitrite in milk: in-line protein precipitation + InGuard cleanup + RFIC results in MDLs 0.002–0.005 mg/L, RSD < 7 % over 1000 injections
• Zearalenone in grains: ASE with 50% MeOH/ACN at 80 °C recovers 107–118 % from wheat and corn in 15 min per sample

Benefits and Practical Use of the Methods

• Reduced extraction times—from hours to minutes—via ASE and online SPE
• Lower solvent consumption and waste
• Automated, unattended workflows improve laboratory throughput
• High reproducibility and low detection limits meet or exceed regulatory requirements
• Flexible system configuration allows LOD and separation optimization for challenging sample matrices
• Integrated software and instrument control simplify method setup and compliance documentation

Future Trends and Application Possibilities

As food safety testing demands expand to new analytes and tighter regulations, future directions include:

• Further integration of LC, IC, and MS platforms for multi-residue screening
• Enhanced miniaturization and flow-through sensors for real-time process monitoring
• Adaptive eWorkflows for non-expert users in QMS environments
• Machine-learning assisted data interpretation for rapid anomaly detection
• Expansion of ASE to microscale and nanoextraction for high-value samples

Conclusion

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s integrated portfolio—ranging from robust ASE sample prep to advanced separation and detection systems—delivers comprehensive solutions for food and environmental contaminant analysis. The demonstrated methods combine speed, sensitivity, and automation to support routine and research laboratories in achieving high-quality, compliant results across a broad spectrum of analytes and sample types.

References

1. U.S. EPA SW-846 Methods 3545A, 8081, 8082, 8290, 8270A.
2. Ye, X. et al. Automated On-Line SPE-HPLC-MS/MS for Phenols in Urine. Anal. Chem. 2005, 77, 5407–5413.
3. Pallaroni, L.; von Holst, C. Zearalenone Extraction by Pressurized Fluid Extraction. J. Chromatogr., A 2003, 993, 39–45.
4. Cheng, Q. et al. Perchlorate Extraction and Determination by ASE + IC. Analyst 2005, 130, 211–216.
5. Richer, B. Single Laboratory Method Validation: STL/PPL Analysis by ASE. Dionex Document 116064, 1994.
6. Masqué, N. et al. On-Line SPE-HPLC for Phenols and Pesticides. J. Chromatogr., A 1998, 793, 257–263.
7. Montero, L. et al. Sorptive Stir Bar Extraction GC-MS of Phenols in Water. J. Chromatogr., A 2005, 1071, 163–169.
8. Schantz, M. et al. Pressurized Fluid Extraction of Environmental Reference Materials. Anal. Chem. 1997, 69, 4210–4219.
9. Dionex Application Notes 182, 183, 279, 322, 342, 350, 355, 356. Dionex Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA.