BOOK OF ABSTRACTS - 6 International Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS (RAFA)

Importance of the Topic

The 6th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis convened leading researchers and practitioners to address the growing demands on food safety, quality and authenticity testing. Driven by consumer concerns and regulatory requirements, the field requires continuous innovation in sample preparation, separation, detection and data analysis.

Objectives and Overview of the Symposium

The symposium aimed to showcase state-of-the-art analytical methods, promote cross-disciplinary dialogue and identify priorities for the next generation of food analysis techniques. Sessions covered risk assessment, omics approaches, contaminant monitoring, on-site screening, authentication, biotechnology and emerging contaminants.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Contributors presented a broad array of analytical platforms and strategies:

• Chromatographic separations (UHPLC, GC, GC×GC) coupled to tandem and high-resolution mass spectrometry (triple quadrupole, Q-TOF, Orbitrap, time-of-flight).
• Ambient ionization techniques (DART, DESI) for rapid screening.
• Vibrational spectroscopy (IR, Raman), chemometric imaging and hyperspectral line-scan methods for in-line monitoring.
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and stable isotope ratio analysis for authenticity and traceability.
• Bioanalytical assays (immunoassays, biosensors, aptamers, reporter gene and lateral flow devices) for mycotoxins, allergens and veterinary drug residues.
• Molecular biology tools (real-time PCR, isothermal amplification) for pathogen, allergen and GMO detection.
• Elemental analysis by ICP-MS and X-ray fluorescence for trace metals and geographic origin studies.

Main Findings and Discussion

Key trends emerged:

• Shift toward multiplex and high-throughput workflows that screen simultaneously for pesticides, mycotoxins, veterinary residues and toxins.
• Integration of metabolomics and proteomics (“foodomics”) for comprehensive fingerprinting of food quality, safety and authentication.
• Increasing use of ion mobility and collision cross-section measurements to enhance selectivity in complex matrices.
• Advances in on-line and in-situ techniques (e.g. ambient MS, chemometric imaging) enabling lab-to-sample analyses and real-time monitoring.
• Development of new clean-up materials (e.g. sorbent cartridges, novel SPE phases) to improve recoveries for polar and non-polar analytes.
• Greater emphasis on bioassays with engineered antibodies, aptamers and microbial reporters to achieve low-cost, rapid screening.
• Application of stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry and NMR metabolite profiles to verify geographic origin and detect adulteration.

Benefits and Practical Applications

These advances translate into:

• Enhanced sensitivity and specificity for trace-level contaminants.
• Faster time-to-result through simplified or automated sample preparation and high-resolution detection.
• Broader screening capabilities via non-targeted high-resolution MS and chemometric pattern recognition.
• On-site, non-destructive testing using portable spectroscopic and biosensor platforms.
• Improved confidence in food origin, authenticity and labelling compliance.
• Robust risk assessment support by combining analytical data with exposure models.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Looking ahead, the field is poised to embrace:

• Deeper integration of multi-omics data with machine learning for predictive quality and safety assessments.
• Miniaturized, field-deployable instruments offering lab-equivalent performance.
• Advanced sorbents and micro-extraction methods tailored for emerging contaminants and complex matrices.
• Real-time process analytical technologies (PAT) using spectroscopy and ambient MS for continuous monitoring in production lines.
• Standardization of high-resolution MS libraries and data workflows for non-targeted screening.
• Expanded use of bio-inspired sensors and synthetic biology approaches for low-cost, high-throughput detection.

Conclusion

The symposium highlighted the dynamic evolution of food analysis driven by technological innovation and regulatory pressures. By combining cutting-edge instrumentation, integrated workflows and bioanalytical strategies, analysts can meet the challenges of ensuring food safety, authenticity and quality at global scale.

Used Instrumentation

• UHPLC–MS/MS (triple quadrupole, high-resolution Orbitrap, Q-TOF)
• GC–MS, GC×GC–TOF MS
• DART, DESI ambient ionization sources
• Ion mobility spectrometry
• 1H-NMR, SNIF-NMR
• IR and Raman spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging
• ICP-MS, X-ray fluorescence
• PCR, isothermal amplification platforms
• Immunoassay readers, SPR biosensors, lateral flow devices