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Shimadzu Releases New Application Handbook for Food, Beverage and Agricultural Industries
58 real life applications on consumer and product safety
5 Oct 2015
Lois Manton-O'Byrne, PhD
Executive Editor
Industry news
In the year of its 140th anniversary, Shimadzu has released its new Application Handbook “Food, Beverages, Agriculture”. The edition contains the most advanced technologies and solutions, such as chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, life instruments, sum parameter (TOC/TN) and materials testing & inspection. Over 200 pages, “Food, Beverages, Agriculture” covers 58 real life applications related to hot subjects such as food scandals which recently have alarmed consumers all around the world. The book is free of charge and can be downloaded here. Shimadzu will also be attending Expo Milano 2015, a global showcase where more than 140 participating countries will show the best of their technology promoting healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting our planet.
Regarding food, water, beverages and agricultural cropland, the increasing world population is one of the biggest challenges of mankind. How can access be provided to sufficient and safe food as well as clean water? How can crop failure be prevented? Can new food sources be explored?
Analytical tools for food and beverages industries
Determination of pesticides in vegetables, identification of horse meat in lasagne and quantification of heavy metals in drinking water: in food and beverages industries, analytical instrumentation methods are essential to ensure high product quality during many steps in the production process such as quality control of raw materials (e.g. natural products) and their treatment during and after production. The food and beverages spectrum is so widespread that dedicated analytical technologies must be applied to meet the challenges regarding consumer and product safety.
This is a quick overview of the technologies and their use:
Chromatography
- Chromatographic separation and analysis of volatile and semi volatile components in food, beverages, liquors and packaging materials are widely used in food quality control. GC is a key technique in qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of food composition, natural products, food additives, flavor and aroma compounds and contaminants such as pesticides and environmental pollutants.
- HPLC and UHPLC systems are able to quantitatively analyze substances in mixtures containing multiple ingredients by separating and detecting target substances. They are also used to purify specific substances once they are separated.
- GC-MS is a hyphenated technique combining the separating power of gas chromatography (GC) with the detection power of mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a sample, for example the fast screening of residual pesticides in food using fast GC-MS/MS.
- LC-MS is a powerful technique that brings together very high sensitivity and high selectivity. Its application is oriented towards the separation, general detection and potential identification of chemicals of particular masses in the presence of other chemicals (e.g. complex mixtures). It is widespread in food safety applications such as Multi-residue analysis of pesticides in food samples by Triple Quadrupole UHPLC-MS/MS.
Spectroscopy
- Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) or inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) is the method for quantitative analysis of element concentrations in food samples and beverages. AAS allows the sequential analysis of elements, and ICP-OES is used for the simultaneous analysis of major, minor and trace elements in drinking water, mineral water, wine and other beverages.
- Energy dispersive fluorescence spectrometry allows the quantitative analysis of element distribution in food samples. This technique provides non-destructive and fast measurements of liquids and solids and is best suited for analysis of the elemental range from sodium/ carbon to uranium, covering the majority of the metallic elements.
- Molecular spectroscopy is used for analysis of metals, ions, colors and molecules in the ultraviolet and visible range of the light spectrum. Determination of wine color and quality control of the wine bottles are typical applications in food and food packaging industries using UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometers.
- Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used for quantification and identification of substances from the near to the far infrared range. Tea bags made of PET are identified using single reflection ATR in combination with infrared spectrometry.
Sum parameter
- The TOC sum parameter determines organic compounds in different matrices, especially in all kinds of water. In the food and beverage industry, water is used as solvent, product or rinsing solution.
Material testing & inspection
- Besides food flavor, texture such as crispiness, glutinousness, feel on tooth and tongue influence the perception of food. Shimadzu provides complete solutions including soft- and hardware to evaluate physical properties of food.
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Nexera HPLC System
Shimadzu's Nexera is a genuine all-around HPLC that enables various types of analysis including conventional LC, ultra fast LC and ultra high-pressure LC up to 130 MPa without compromising performance and data quality. The LC-30A Nexera delivers high-speed and high-resolution analysis without sacrificing basic performance parameters such as excellent precision, near-zero carryover, good linearity, stability and ruggedness. Offering these attributes enables Nexera to provide superior performance in various fields, covering high-resolution and high-speed separation, as well as high-sensitivity detection. Features of the Shimadzu LC-30A Nexera include: • New zero carryover• Absorbance detectors with excellent stability and sensitivity• Precise sample injection regardless of volume• Finest Reproducibility under Ultra-High Speed• Reduced otal analysis time• Large sample capacity for high throughput sample analysis
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Gas ChromatographyGas chromatography (GC) is an analytical technique used to separate and quantitate mixtures of small and volatile compounds. Gas chromatographs or GC systems include components such as GC columns, detectors, pumps and autosamplers. Choose from packed or capillary GC columns, flame ionization (FID), photoionization (PID) electron capture detectors and selective or non-selective detectors. Find the best gas chromatographs in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.UHPLC and HPLCHigh performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), also known as UPLC, are analytical techniques used to separate, identify and quantitate components of complex mixtures including biological samples such as proteins and lipids as well as chemical mixtures of pesticides, drugs and oils. Both techniques are liquid chromatographic methods but differ by operating pressures (HPLC < 6000 psi < UHPLC ). Components of HPLC and UHPLC systems include columns, detectors, pumps, autosamplers and column heaters. Explore a range of UHPLC and HPLC columns for your specific sample needs including reverse phase, normal phase, ion exchange, HILIC, ion exclusion and size exclusion columns. For more specialized HPLC, explore FPLC, countercurrent LC and simulated moving bed systems. Find the best UHPLC and HPLC equipment in our peer reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Atomic Absorption / Emission SpectroscopyAtomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) — also called optical emission spectroscopy (OES) — are used to detect the elemental constituents in samples. Both techniques involve the atomization of a sample. Atomic absorption spectrometers may use a flame or furnace to create an atomic vapor of the sample before irradiation with spectral light. Optical emission spectrometers may use a flame, inductively coupled plasma (ICP), microwave plasma (MP) or spark arcs to atomize and excite the sample. At higher excitation energies, electrons can be emitted instead of photons, which can be useful for samples that can’t be atomized and for surface analysis. Explore electron spectroscopy equipment such as Auger spectrometers and photoelectron spectrometers for surface elemental analysis of samples. Find the best atomic absorption, photoelectron and optical emission spectrometers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Infrared / IR SpectroscopyInfrared (IR) spectroscopy measures the interaction of infrared light with a sample, including transmission, reflectance & absorbance, facilitating the identification of analytes. Equipment used for quantitative analysis includes Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers, infrared cameras, FTIR gas analyzers, as well as attenuated total reflectance (ATR) accessories and pellet or film presses. Find the best IR spectroscopy products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.LC-MSLC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) systems and equipment are used for separation and quantitative analysis of complex mixtures, combining liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Quantify proteins, contaminants, pesticides or screen for drug metabolites with a high level of sensitivity. LC-MS systems and equipment include reverse phase, normal phase and specialized columns integrated with various MS detectors such as time-of-flight (TOF), quadrupole, orbitrap or ion trap mass analyzers. LC-MS/MS instruments equipped with a qTOF or triple quadrupole analyzer give greater sensitivity and resolving power to your analysis. Find the best LC-MS equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Mass SpectrometryMass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical technique used to identify and quantify molecules based on the mass-to-charge ratio of gas-phase ions. It provides detailed information about the structure, composition, and properties of compounds and is widely used across fields such as environmental monitoring, materials science, drug discovery and development, food and beverage testing, and wider chemical research. Key MS techniques include tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LS-MS) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS). Choosing from these wide range of techniques and technologies can be a daunting task, so keep up to date with scientific applications, performance expectations, and customer reviews here all in one place. Visit our product directory to receive quotes direct from the manufacturer.
UV-Visible SpectroscopyUltraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometers are used to measure the interaction of UV and visible light with a sample, including transmission, reflectance & absorbance. The two major instrument classes are single-beam or double-beam spectrophotometers. More specialized equipment includes colorimeters, spectroradiometers and refractometers. Portable and microvolume spectrophotometers are also available. For the modular spectroscopy lab, explore a range of light sources for combination with a spectrograph/spectrometer and optics. Find the best UV-Vis spectroscopy products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Environmental Monitoring and TestingEnvironmental monitoring and testing uses handheld portable analyzers, kits, spectrometers or chromatography systems for air, water, soil, food and other sample testing. Useful features of analyzers such as BOD and COD include portability, easy calibration, automation and sensitivity. Environmental test kits for pH, water, moisture, etc, should be accurate, sensitive, reliable, fast and easy to use.Food and Beverage AnalyzersFood and Beverage Analyzers are commonly used to provide information about the chemical composition, structure and physical properties of food materials.Food and Beverage ProcessingFood and Beverage Processing involves the preparation of food products for further analysis. Typical instrumentation includes blanchers, color sorters, cookers, grinders, and refrigeration. These are used to replicate the processes commonly used in the commercial preparation of food and beverages.GC-MS GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) instruments and equipment are used to separate, quantify and identify mixtures of small and volatile compounds, such as polycyclic aromatics, fatty acids and alcohols. Often used in drug detection, forensic investigation and environmental analysis for pesticides and contaminants, GC-MS is a powerful addition to your lab’s analytical capabilities. GC-MS/MS instruments equipped with a qTOF or triple quadrupole analyzers can give greater sensitivity and resolution to your analysis. Find the best GC-MS instruments and equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Contamination PreventionContamination prevention aims to control and minimize the risk of contamination during experiments. Biological safety cabinets and sterilization equipment are examples of technologies used to prevent contamination.AgricultureAgriculture research focuses on improving food production, crop management, and sustainability. This includes plant breeding, pest control, and soil health studies. Explore agriculture research tools in our peer-reviewed product directory; compare products, check reviews, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.Food SafetyFood safety describes the prevention of food-borne illnesses. Contamination with a variety of pathogens can be prevented with adequate temperature control, hygiene and labeling. Food samples can be tested using GC/MS, HPLC, SPE, and qPCR to ensure their adherence to regulations.Food TestingFood testing refers to a variety experiments including PCR, mass spectrometry, processing, QuEChERS, analyzing and Kjeldahl.