BOOK OF ABSTRACTS - 3rd International Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS (RAFA)

Importance of the Topic

The continual development of sensitive, selective and high-throughput analytical methods is essential to ensure the safety, quality and authenticity of food and feed. Complex matrices and ever-lower regulatory limits for contaminants and residues drive the demand for advanced instrumentation capable of detecting classical targets such as mycotoxins, pesticides and process-induced contaminants alongside emerging threats like nanoparticles or marine biotoxins.

Objectives and Overview

At the 3rd International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis in Prague (7–9 November 2007), the oral session showcased 21 contributions spanning innovative sampling strategies, separation techniques and detector technologies. The primary goals were:

• Improve limits of detection, accuracy and precision for regulated analytes (e.g. mycotoxins, ergot alkaloids, pesticides, process contaminants)
• Enable non-targeted screening for unknown or emerging contaminants (e.g. nanoparticles, masked mycotoxins, novel marine toxins)
• Introduce rapid, miniaturized and portable systems for on-site or near-real-time analysis (e.g. microfluidic chips, ambient MS ion sources, electronic noses)

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

• Separation Approaches: GC×GC (comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography), UPLC, PTV-GC, capillary electrophoresis, fast LC
• Detection Techniques: Triple-quadrupole MS/MS, TOF-MS (high-resolution or high-speed), ICP-MS, infrared laser desorption (IR-LDI), DESI, ambient ionization (DART), SPR biosensors
• Sample Pretreatment: SPME, immunoaffinity/sol-gel cleanup, dispersive SPE, PLE, QuEChERS, enzymatic digestion, coacervative extraction
• Novel Platforms: Microfabricated fluidic chips for electrochemical detection, immunomagnetic beads coupled to amperometric read-out, biosensor arrays, multisensory “electronic noses”

Main Results and Discussion

• Nanoparticle detection in environmental and food samples was achieved using SEC, FFF, ICP-MS and advanced microscopy, highlighting emerging analytical challenges.
• Microchip-based electrochemical and optical immunosensors demonstrated rapid detection of toxins, pathogens and biomarkers in complex liquids with high sensitivity.
• Ambient ionization methods (DESI, DART) and IR-LDI TOF-MS enabled direct analysis of foods (oils, cheeses, fruits) without extensive sample prep, preserving spatial information.
• High-speed GC×GC-TOF-MS identified hundreds to thousands of volatiles and contaminants in a single run, while high-resolution TOF-MS allowed elemental composition determination of unknowns.
• LC-MS/MS methods delivered rapid, simultaneous quantification of multiple mycotoxins, ergot alkaloids, pesticides and glycation markers (e.g. CML, pyrraline) down to low μg/kg levels.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Advanced methods reduce analysis time, solvent use and operator dependency while improving sensitivity and selectivity. Applications range from routine monitoring of regulatory contaminants in cereals, oils and beverages to emerging needs such as nanoparticle exposure assessment, on-site pathogen screening, authentication of geographical origin and early warning of food spoilage.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Integration of high-resolution MS and ion mobility for deeper structural elucidation and non-targeted surveys
• Automation and miniaturization of sample prep to enable field-deployable analytical devices
• Advanced data mining and chemometric tools for pattern recognition, authenticity verification and rapid decision making
• Combining biosensors with mobile communication for real-time food safety alerts

Conclusion

The oral session at the Prague symposium highlighted a paradigm shift in food analysis towards ultra-fast, highly selective and non-targeted techniques that meet evolving regulatory and industry needs. Continued collaboration across disciplines and further advances in instrumentation and data analysis will be critical to safeguard the food supply.

References

• 3rd International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis. Prague, Czech Republic. 7–9 November 2007. Conference Proceedings.