Food Safety Solutions - Application Data Book

Significance of Topic

Ensuring food safety requires highly sensitive, reliable methods to detect trace levels of contaminants such as pesticides, mycotoxins, veterinary drugs, food‐contact plasticizers, and environmental pollutants across diverse food matrices.

Objectives and Overview

This Application Data Book compiles validated analytical protocols using Shimadzu instrumentation to identify and quantify over 1 000 target compounds in fruits, vegetables, grains, beverages, oils, dairy products, spices, and processed foods.

Methodologies and Instrumentation

• Sample Preparation: QuEChERS extractions, SPE/GPC cleanup, MonoTrap and SPME microextraction, direct thermal desorption
• Chromatography: Gas and liquid phases with splitless PTV injection or headspace, UHPLC, HPLC
• Detection: Tandem quadrupole MS/MS in MRM mode, ultra-fast polarity switching, high‐speed collision cells (UFsweeper)
• Key Platforms: GCMS-TQ8040, LCMS-8030/8040/8050, UFMS series, Prominence UFLC, Nexera UHPLC

Key Results and Discussion

Methods achieve:

• Linear ranges spanning low ng/L to μg/L
• Limits of detection at single‐digit μg/kg or lower
• Recoveries of 70–120% with RSDs ≤10%
• Rapid turnaround: 5–30 min per run, high‐throughput workflows

Benefits and Practical Applications

These protocols enable:

• Comprehensive multi‐residue screening for regulatory compliance (EU, US, China, Japan)
• Matrix-matched calibration to offset matrix effects
• Interchangeable consumables and automated cleanup for robust, reproducible analysis

Future Trends and Potential Uses

• Expansion to non-targeted screening with high-resolution MS
• Integration of AI-driven data processing and spectral libraries
• Portable GC-MS for field testing
• Next-generation high-throughput platforms for ultra-trace analysis

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s Food Safety Solutions Application Data Book provides end-to-end, validated analytical workflows leveraging advanced MS/MS and sample prep technologies to meet the growing demands of food safety testing across global markets.

References

• Shimadzu GCMS-TQ8030 and LCMS-8050 User Guides
• EU Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006
• GB 2763-2012: Pesticide Residue Limits in Food (China)
• Codex Alimentarius Commission Standards
• FDA Pesticide Analytical Manual