BOOK OF ABSTRACTS - 7th International Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS (RAFA)

Summary of the 7th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis

Importance of the Topic

Food analysis underpins safety, quality, authenticity and compliance across the global food chain. Emerging threats from chemical residues, natural toxins, adulteration, and complex matrices demand continual advancement in analytical strategies to protect consumer health and support regulatory frameworks.

Symposium Objectives and Structure

• Showcase state-of-the-art instrumental and bioanalytical methods for routine and research applications.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange among industry, academia and regulatory bodies.
• Highlight future trends and interdisciplinary approaches to food safety, fraud prevention and bioactive component characterization.

Methodological Themes and Instrumentation

The program spans vendor seminars, keynote lectures and poster sessions covering:

• Mass spectrometry platforms (GC–MS, LC–MS/MS, high-resolution MS, ion mobility, ambient MS imaging).
• Chromatographic innovations (comprehensive GC×GC, UHPLC, SFC, field-flow fractionation).
• Spectroscopic tools (NMR, FTIR, Raman, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy).
• Immunoassays, aptasensors and label-free biosensors for mycotoxins, allergens, pathogens.
• Elemental and speciation analysis by ICP–MS, ICP–OES, X-ray methods.
• Emerging nanomaterial characterization and their safety implications.
• Microbiome-driven authentication and next-generation sequencing for traceability.
• Metabolomics and multi-omics workflows for exposure assessment and quality control.

Key Outcomes and Practical Benefits

• Validated multi-residue and multi-class methods supporting low-level detection of contaminants (pesticides, dioxins, veterinary drugs, mycotoxins).
• Enhanced screening technologies for food fraud and authenticity, including rapid evaporative ionization MS and spectroscopy.
• Advanced sample preparation strategies (QuEChERS, automated PLE, clean-up sorbents) improving throughput and robustness.
• Integration of bioassays and chemical analysis for holistic risk assessment.

Future Trends and Opportunities

• Wider adoption of high-resolution, ion-mobility-enabled MS and real-time ambient techniques.
• Growth of data-driven approaches with chemometrics and machine-learning for non-targeted screening.
• Development of portable and on-site sensor platforms for point-of-need testing.
• Further integration of omics technologies to unravel complex food matrices and human exposure pathways.

Conclusion

This symposium highlights the dynamic evolution of analytical chemistry in food science. Interdisciplinary collaboration, technological innovation and rigorous validation pave the way for more sensitive, selective and high-throughput solutions to safeguard food integrity and public health.