Shimadzu’s Total Support for Food Safety

Significance of the Topic

Shimadzu’s integrated analytical platform addresses critical challenges in modern food safety testing, where contaminants including pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, mycotoxins, pathogenic microorganisms, heavy metals, processing byproducts, allergens, off-flavors, and foreign matter must be monitored across the food supply chain. Rapid, sensitive, and accurate detection techniques help ensure regulatory compliance and protect public health.

Objectives and Study Overview

This document presents Shimadzu’s total support approach spanning farm to fork. It reviews analytical goals for major contaminant classes, describes high-throughput multi-residue methods, and highlights instrumentation and software solutions designed for comprehensive food safety testing.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Residual Pesticides: Simultaneous analysis of over 600 pesticides in 10.5 minutes by LC-MS/MS (LCMS-8060) and 439 pesticides by GC-MS/MS (GCMS-TQ8050).
• Veterinary Pharmaceuticals: MRM-based detection of up to 212 veterinary drugs using LC-MS/MS with enhanced spectrum mode.
• Mycotoxins: High-speed LC-MS/MS screening of 25 mycotoxins in 12–15 minutes and direct HPLC analysis of aflatoxins in under four minutes.
• Microorganism Identification: Rapid MALDI-TOF-MS profiling for species ID within two minutes using AXIMA technology.
• Toxic Metals: Trace analysis of cadmium and lead by atomic absorption (AA-7000) and multi-element ICP-OES (ICPE-9800); nondestructive screening by EDXRF (EDX-7000/8000).
• Food Additives: UV-VIS and LC-MS/MS methods for preservatives, coloring agents, flavor compounds, and low-calorie sweeteners.
• Processing Contaminants: Acrylamide quantification in baked and fried foods by LC-MS/MS.
• Allergens: Peptide-based MRM detection of 13 allergenic proteins from eight regulated sources.
• Off-Flavor Analysis: GC-MS with specialized database for odor-causing compounds.
• Foreign Matter: EDXRF and FTIR microanalysis for inorganic and organic contaminants.
• Packaging Testing: Universal testing machines for seal strength and texture analysis; MOSH/MOAH screening via LC-GC online system.
• Halal Testing: Porcine-specific peptide marker identification by LC-MS/MS for processed food authentication.
• Laboratory Data Management: Networked LabSolutions CS for instrument control, data integration, and remote monitoring.

Main Results and Discussion

Shimadzu methods deliver exceptional sensitivity (sub-ppt to ppb levels), high throughput (hundreds of samples per day), and robust reproducibility (<5% RSD), with rapid turnaround times. Smart databases and MRM workflows streamline method development and enable multi-analyte quantification with a push-button setup. Case studies demonstrate reliable detection of regulatory targets and rapid incident response for off-flavor and foreign matter investigations.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Comprehensive contaminant coverage reduces laboratory complexity and instrument overlap.
• High sensitivity and selectivity support global regulatory compliance (EU, FDA, USDA, China, Japan).
• Automation and intuitive software improve efficiency, reduce errors, and shorten analysis times.
• Modular systems adapt from R&D to high-throughput QA/QC environments.
• Screening tools optimize resource allocation by pre-identifying suspect samples.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging needs in food safety testing point toward deeper integration of artificial intelligence for data analysis, cloud-based networks for real-time monitoring, enhanced automation and robotics for sample handling, and miniaturized portable platforms for on-site screening. Advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry, biosensors, and expanded spectral libraries will extend capabilities to novel contaminants, sustainability metrics, and precision nutrition.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s end-to-end analytical solutions deliver unmatched speed, sensitivity, and versatility for modern food safety challenges. By uniting cutting-edge instrumentation, smart software, and global support infrastructure, laboratories worldwide can enhance workflows, ensure regulatory compliance, and safeguard public health from farm to fork.

Used Instrumentation

• LCMS-8060 Triple Quadrupole LC-MS/MS
• GCMS-TQ8050 Triple Quadrupole GC-MS/MS
• GCMS-QP2020 Single Quadrupole GC-MS
• Nexis GC-2030 and Prominence LC Series HPLC
• Nexera Ultra and Nexera-i HPLC Systems
• AA-7000 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
• ICPE-9800 ICP-OES and ICPMS-2030 ICP-MS
• EDX-7000/8000 EDXRF Spectrometers
• AXIMA MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer
• UV-1900 UV-VIS Spectrophotometer and IRTracer-100 FTIR
• AG/EZ Test Universal Testing Machines
• PAL Autosampler and LC-GC Online System
• LabSolutions CS Data Management Software