Analytical Instrument Documents

JEOL offers numerous analytical tools to support both "food safety & security" as well as various evaluations of primary, secondary and tertiary functions of foodstuffs which are useful for a wide range of users associated with this field. This Foodnote introduces the features of each of the instruments and actual analysis examples, and is designed for researchers and engineers who are considering purchases of instruments. This brochure also presents comprehensive evaluations and analysis solutions that can be achieved with combinations of multiple instruments.

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) is a well established sampling technique that is often used to isolate volatile organic components in gaseous mixtures. Once the compounds have been collected, the SPME fibers are typically placed into a heated GC inlet which thermally desorbs these components into a GC-MS system for analysis. Normally, this analysis can take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete depending on the complexity of the samples. In this work, the Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART™) heated gas stream is used to desorb and directly introduce a SPME sample into a high-resolution mass spectrometer. This methodology produces comparable information to the traditional GC-MS technique but streamlines the results into only a few seconds of analysis time.

Direct control of solid materials for pesticide residues is a challenging task enabling fast contamination screening. In our study, we investigated direct analysis of strobilurin fungicides in milled wheat grains. Strobilurins, systemic pesticides originated from natural fungicidal derivatives, play an important role in control of various plant pathogens. Because of their unique protective properties, significant yield enhancements and longer retention of green leaf tissue, strobilurins have been widely used in agriculture since their introduction on the market in 1992. As other pesticides, these compounds are involved in control and monitoring surveys underta

Recent events have led to the recall of both pet food and dairy food products from international consumer markets. In both cases, melamine was added to these products to show a higher chemical signature for proteins, which in turn would increase the reported quality of the food. Unfortunately, the effect of this melamine addition caused the death of both pets and babies that consumed these tainted products. As a result, there is growing government and consumer concern towards the presence of melamine in food products. Because of this concern, there is a need for a rapid and accurate test to quickly determine the presence of melamine in these food products. Previously, the JEOL AccuTOF-DART was shown to be an effective technique for determining the presence of melamine in pet food. In this work, we extend the application of AccuTOF-DART to show that melamine can be rapidly detected when it is present in dry nonfat milk.

Thiabendazole is an anthelmintic and a highly persistent systematic benzimidazole fungicide that is widely used for controlling spoilage in citrus fruit. It is considered a General Use Pesticide (GUP) in EPA Toxicity Class III – Slight Toxicity. A small piece of orange peel (a few square millimeters in size) from a Florida orange was placed in the DART sampling region. Compounds present in the peel were detected within seconds. Among these were the familiar orange-oil flavor components such as limonene and sinensal as well as polymethoxylated flavones that are attributed with antioxidant and cholesterol-reducing properties.

Dietary fats are categorized according to the level of unsaturation. Oils are a mixture of triglycerides and free fatty acids. Olive oil contains a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, while other oils such as Canola and safflower oil contain larger amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Characterizing the type of lipids present is important for quality control and for detecting adulteration of more expensive oils (e.g. olive oil) with cheaper products. Analysis by HPLC is time consuming and requires solvents and consumables. DART provides a convenient alternative: no solvents are required and the analysis can be completed in seconds.

Poppy seed is a common flavoring ingredient that is known to contain small amounts of opiates. Maximum morphine and codeine concentrations are estimated to be about 33 and 14 micrograms respectively per gram of seed. Consumption of typical amounts of baked goods containing poppy seeds has not been shown to cause any ill effects. However, ingestion of poppy seeds may result in false positives from drug tests. Single poppy seeds from different sources were analyzed independently in two different laboratories by using the DART™/AccuTOF™ combination. The resulting mass spectra were nearly identical.

We examined different parts of a hot pepper to determine which part of the pepper contains the highest concentration of capsaicin. Different sections of the pepper were placed between the DART and the AccuTOF orifice. Little capsaicin was found in the fleshy part of the pepper; higher concentrations were found in the pepper seeds. The highest concentration of capsaicin was found in the membrane inside the pepper pod onto which the seeds are attached.

Caffeine (Figure 1), a xanthine alkaloid acting as psychoactive stimulant and mild diuretic in human, is an integral part of diet of many people. It is often found in natural products such as tea, coffee and cocoa beans, cola nuts and many others. Analysis of caffeine in various foods and beverages is an important task for analytical laboratories, as its content is considered in assessment of product quality (coffee, cocoa beans and tea). Due to its physiological effect, the amount of caffeine is regulated in selected foods in EU. Maximum limits are set for some soft drinks to which caffeine is added. HPLC methods employing UV detection are commonly used for its control. While for soft drinks and coffee/tea infusions, the sample preparation is not too much time demanding, LC separation of sample components becomes a limiting step in laboratory throughput. Employing AccuTOF-DART system offers straightforward examination of caffeine content in tens of samples per hour, thanks to omitting separation step. Isotope dilution is used for target analyte quantification.

Every cook knows that chopping onions releases chemicals that cause eye irritation. The lachrymator released by chopped onions and related plants is formed by the action of a pair of enzymes on a cysteine derivative to ultimately form propanethial S-oxide (C3H6SO), the compound that causes eye irritation.