We are excited to announce that registration for the 12th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2026), along with the call for abstracts and travel grants for young scientists, is now officially open!<h3>Key dates</h3><ul><li>May 31, 2026: Application for Young scientist travel grant</li><li>June 30, 2026<ul><li>Application for participation as a Sponsor or Exhibitor or Media partner</li><li>Abstract submission for oral presentation</li><li>Reduced registration fee</li></ul></li><li>August 31, 2026: Abstract submission for poster presentation</li><li>September 30, 2026: Last minute posters submission</li><li>November 3 - 6, 20026: 12th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2026) in Prague, Czech Republic</li></ul><h3>Registration</h3><blockquote>👉<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://rafa.easyevent.eu/tickets/">Registration for RAFA 2026 is OPEN!</a>Early-bird registration until 30 June, 2026</blockquote>After successful submission of your registration, you will receive by e-mail (i) an automatic confirmation of receipt indicating the total amount of payment due (either for bank transfer or for on-line payment by card), (ii) login to Member section where you can administrate your profile, submit your abstracts, and from September 2026 register for satellite events, workshops and seminars. If it will not be delivered within a few minutes after submission of your registration please contact us at RAFA2026@vscht.cz.As soon as payment of registration fee is processed, you will also receive by e-mail (iii) confirmation of payment.<h4>Important notice:</h4>Registration fee of those who have submitted an abstract for oral or poster presentation has to be received until September 30, 2026, otherwise these contribution(s) will not be included into the Book of Abstracts and the Conference programme.<h4>Registration Fees</h4><ul><li>Smart rate (Until 30 June, 2026): € 655</li><li>Regular registration (Until 30 September, 2026): € 855</li><li>Late registration (From 1 October, 2026): € 955</li><li>Student rate*&nbsp;<ul><li>Until 30 June, 2026: € 465</li><li>From 1 July, 2026: € 605</li></ul></li></ul>* The proof of student status (e.g. copy of a student identify card) is requested as an attachment of the registration form.<h5>The regular registration fee will include:</h5><ul><li>Attendance at all scientific sessions, workshops, seminars, vendor seminars and other satellite events</li><li>Access to the poster and exhibition area</li><li>Conference kit (name badge, conference bag, conference documents, certificate of participation, certificate of presentation on request)</li><li>Final programme</li><li>E-Book of Abstracts</li><li>Coffee breaks</li><li>Buffet luncheons</li><li>Welcome drink</li></ul>In the registration form you can register free of charge for the welcome drink and you can also order ticket(s) for the conference dinner (€ 85).Please note that your registration is firm when your payment has been received.<h3>Abstract submission</h3><blockquote>👉<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://rafa.easyevent.eu/tickets/">CALL for ABSTRACTS is OPEN!</a>In order to submit an abstract, you must first register to attend RAFA 2026. After registration you will receive an access to the Member section where you can submit your abstract(s).</blockquote>&nbsp;After successful submission of your abstract you will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt of submitted abstract via e-mail. If it will not be delivered within a few minutes after submission of your abstract please check at first your spam box-mail and then contact us at RAFA2026@vscht.cz.Please ensure that your abstract does not contain spelling, grammatical or scientific errors. Even though modifications of your submitted abstract will be allowed in the Abstract section of the Member section until the deadline for the abstract submission, please be confident on the lack of errors in your final version prior to starting the submission process.The abstract will be reproduced exactly as submitted. No proofreading will be done, although some corrections may be requested by the reviewers.If you need to withdraw your abstract, a written statement reflecting the reasons for this decision must be sent to RAFA2026@vscht.cz no later than September 30, 2026.<h4>Important notice:</h4><blockquote>1 registered participant can submit no more than 2 abstracts.</blockquote>To apply for a young scientist’s oral presentation, as an indication please respect the rule that you should be born in 1991 or later.The text of the abstract should be limited to 3000 characters including spaces. Tables and pictures are not allowed.Abstracts of oral presentations and posters will be included into the "e-Book of Abstracts" only after receipt of the conference registration fee. Any payment of the registration fee has to be received until September 30, 2026, otherwise contribution(s) will not be included into the e-Book of Abstracts and the Conference programme.<h3>Special opportunities for young scientists:</h3><ul><li>Dedicated slots for oral presentations within the main scientific programme</li><li>Competitive travel grants for young scientists</li><li>Award(s) for the best poster presentation(s)</li></ul>Whether you are a PhD student or an early-career researcher, RAFA 2026 offers a unique opportunity to present your work, gain international exposure and connect with leading experts in the field.Be part of this inspiring scientific event and join us in Prague!

RAFA 2026 - Registration & Call for Abstracts are now OPEN

44th International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography - Invited speakers

In analytical chemistry, there are moments when your instrument gives you an answer, and moments when it gives you a question. The difference often comes down to resolution.A compelling example can be found in the analysis of blue fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea), a plant that is widely used as a spice in traditional foods. Interestingly, the fresh plant has almost no aroma, yet after drying and storage it develops a rich and complex bouquet. Understanding this transformation requires detailed insight into a highly dynamic mixture of volatile compounds.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Thermo_Aromatic_profiling_using_GCMS_and_HRGCMS_5a89d505be.jpg" alt="Thermo Fisher Scientific: When Resolution Changes the Story: Single Quadrupole vs. HRAM GC-MS" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Thermo_Aromatic_profiling_using_GCMS_and_HRGCMS_5a89d505be.jpg 234w," sizes="100vw" width="1280" height="853">When researchers investigated this system using <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/484">GC-MS</a>, they encountered exactly the kind of analytical ambiguity that many of us are familiar with. The sample contained a complex mixture of aldehydes and monoterpenoids, along with compounds that were not well described in existing databases.At first glance, a single quadrupole GC-MS appears to be perfectly suited for this type of analysis. It is robust, widely available, and highly effective for routine workflows. It provides reproducible fragmentation patterns and enables reliable library matching. In many cases, this is entirely sufficient.However, challenges arise when compounds share very similar fragmentation behavior. In the case of blue fenugreek, one particular signal could be interpreted in more than one way. The data were consistent with either dimethyl sulfide or a sulfine-type compound. Both possibilities made chemical sense, and both could be supported by the spectra obtained on a quadrupole system.This situation illustrates a fundamental limitation of unit mass resolution. When two candidate structures produce nearly indistinguishable spectra, the instrument cannot decisively distinguish between them. The result is not an incorrect answer, but an incomplete one. You are left with a hypothesis rather than a conclusion.The picture changes significantly when high-resolution accurate mass <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/products/473">(HRAM) GC-MS</a> is introduced. Instruments such as Orbitrap-based systems provide exact mass measurements with very high accuracy. This allows the determination of elemental compositions and enables clear differentiation between compounds that differ only slightly in mass.In the same example, HRAM analysis made it possible to distinguish between the competing structural hypotheses. What previously appeared ambiguous could now be resolved with confidence.This improvement is not merely a technical detail. It has important consequences for how the data are interpreted. Correct compound identification directly affects our understanding of biochemical pathways, especially in systems where aroma compounds are formed during drying and storage. It also influences how we assign sensory properties, since even small structural differences can lead to significant changes in odor perception. Furthermore, when studying the dynamics of volatile compounds over time, precise identification becomes essential for tracking formation and degradation processes.Despite these advantages, it would be misleading to suggest that HRAM GC-MS should replace single quadrupole systems in all cases. Single quadrupole instruments remain indispensable for routine analysis, targeted workflows, and situations where compounds are well known and thoroughly characterized. They offer a practical balance of performance, cost, and throughput.The key distinction lies in the analytical question being asked. If the goal is to quantify known compounds in a reliable and efficient manner, a single quadrupole system is often entirely appropriate. If, however, the goal is to identify unknowns, resolve ambiguities, or explore complex and poorly understood systems, then high-resolution accurate mass becomes essential.The study of blue fenugreek highlights a broader lesson. Natural products often present us with chemical complexity that challenges our assumptions and our tools. In such cases, ambiguity in the data is not a failure, but an indication that a deeper level of analysis is required.Ultimately, resolution is more than just an instrument specification. It defines how confidently we can translate signals into knowledge.<h4>Acknowledgement:</h4>I would like to thank Dr. Thomas Stegemann, Lab Manager and group leader, Christian-Alberts-University, Kiel, for the contribution to this blog.<h4>Call to action:</h4><ul><li>Watch webinar on demand: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://gcms.labrulez.com/webinar/6020">Aromatic profiling using GCMS and HRGCMS</a></li><li>Visit us on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/72003132/admin/dashboard/">LinkedIn:</a>&nbsp;#GCMS #MassSpectrometry #HRAM #Orbitrap</li></ul><blockquote><h5>Petra Gerhards</h5>Regional Marketing Manager GC and GC/MS, EMEA, Thermo Fisher Scientific&nbsp;</blockquote>

When Resolution Changes the Story: Single Quadrupole vs. HRAM GC-MS

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RAFA provides an overview of contemporary trends in ANALYTICAL & BIOANALYTICAL STRATEGIES IN FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY CONTROL and discusses CHALLENGES / NOVEL APPROACHES IN FOOD AND NATURAL PRODUCTS ANALYSIS.

Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA)

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When Resolution Changes the Story: Single Quadrupole vs. HRAM GC-MS

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