BOOK OF ABSTRACTS - 5 International Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS (RAFA)

Importance of the Topic

The 5th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis assembled leading experts to address critical challenges in food safety, quality, authenticity and regulatory compliance. The rapid evolution of food matrices, emerging contaminants and complex supply chains demands state-of-the-art analytical approaches that deliver high throughput, enhanced sensitivity, broad specificity and robust validation across laboratories and regions.

Objectives and Overview

This comprehensive meeting, organized by the Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague and RIKILT Wageningen, aimed to:

• Present novel methodologies for targeted and non-targeted screening of residues, toxins, allergens and adulterants.
• Share advances in sample preparation techniques such as QuEChERS, SPE, SPME, TurboFlow and molecularly imprinted polymers.
• Highlight applications of high-resolution and accurate-mass hyphenated techniques including LC-HRMS, GC×GC-ToF, ion mobility and ambient MS for complex food matrices.
• Explore chemometric and metabolomic strategies for food authentication, traceability and fingerprinting.
• Promote quality assurance, reference materials, proficiency testing and green analytical practices.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Contributors demonstrated a wide array of analytical platforms and sample handling workflows, notably:

• Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS, high-resolution Orbitrap and Q-ToF systems).
• Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS, GC×GC–ToF, GC–CID-CI-MS).
• Ambient ionization techniques (DART-MS, direct analysis in real time coupled with high-resolution MS).
• Ion mobility spectrometry for rapid volatile profiling and improving selectivity.
• NMR spectroscopy, including 1H-NMR fingerprinting for metabolomic authentication and screening.
• Infrared and Raman spectroscopy for rapid fingerprinting of oils, honey and other food products.
• Flow-field-flow fractionation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for nanoparticle and element speciation.
• Surface plasmon resonance and lateral-flow immunoassays for multiplex allergen and toxin detection.

Main Results and Discussion

Key outcomes included:

• Validated multi-residue methods for pesticides, veterinary drugs, mycotoxins and emerging organic pollutants in cereals, dairy, meat, fish and botanical supplements.
• Non-targeted profiling workflows combining high-resolution LC–MS with chemometrics to discriminate geographical origin and detect adulteration in honey, olive oil, wine and fruit juices.
• Rapid on-site screening of allergens, antibiotics and toxins by advanced immunoassays, DNA aptamers and portable spectroscopic sensors.
• Identification of processing contaminants such as acrylamide, furan and chloropropanols by precise UHPLC–MS/MS and derivatization strategies.
• Assessment of nanoparticle presence and transformation in foodstuffs using hyphenated techniques and biosensor platforms.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Adoption of these methodological innovations offers tangible advantages:

• Higher sensitivity and specificity enabling trace-level detection and minimized false positives.
• Accelerated sample throughput through automated and on-line cleanup and direct analysis techniques.
• Enhanced regulatory compliance via validated reference materials and interlaboratory proficiency schemes.
• Improved food authenticity assurance by combining isotopic, elemental and metabolomic markers.
• Reduced environmental impact through miniaturized, solvent-efficient and green analytical protocols.

Used Instrumentation

Major analytical tools featured:

• UHPLC systems coupled to triple-quadrupole and high-resolution (Orbitrap, ToF) mass spectrometers.
• Comprehensive two-dimensional GC (GC×GC) with time-of-flight detection.
• Direct-analysis ambient ion sources (DART, ASAP) interfaced to HRMS platforms.
• NMR spectrometers for high-throughput fingerprinting (400–800 MHz).
• Ion mobility–mass spectrometry modules for rapid separation of isobaric compounds.
• ICP-MS and HPLC–ICP–MS for elemental and metal speciation (As, Hg, Se, Pb).
• Infrared (FT-IR, FT-NIR) and Raman spectroscopy for rapid vibrational fingerprinting.

Future Trends and Applications

Ongoing developments point toward:

• Integration of multi-omics data with artificial intelligence and machine learning for comprehensive quality control and fraud detection.
• Miniaturization and portability of high-performance instruments for in-field, real-time analysis.
• Expanded use of green sample preparation and solvent-free microextraction techniques.
• Advances in sensor technology employing nanomaterials, aptamers and quantum dots for multiplex detection.
• Stronger harmonization of global standards, reference materials and proficiency testing to support regulatory decision-making.

Conclusion

This symposium underscored the rapid evolution and diversification of analytical tools in food analysis. By fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and regulatory bodies, the meeting charted a course toward faster, more accurate, and greener methodologies that will safeguard food quality and consumer health worldwide.