Molecular Spectroscopy Compendium - Ensure food quality, production, and safety

Importance of the Topic

Globalization of food supply chains and stringent safety regulations demand rapid, reliable methods for detecting target and non-target compounds in food matrices.

Objectives and Overview

This compendium presents current and emerging applications of molecular spectroscopy techniques, including FTIR, UV-Vis and fluorescence, for food authentication, quality control, and safety assurance from farm to fork.

Methodology and Instrumentation

FTIR techniques:

• Benchtop, handheld and portable FTIR spectrometers (Agilent 4100, 4200, 4300, 4500, 5500 and Cary 630).
• Sampling interfaces: diamond ATR, DialPath transmission, diffuse reflectance, ATR microscope (Cary 610).

UV-Vis and fluorescence techniques:

• Cary 60 UV-Vis spectrophotometer.
• Cary Eclipse fluorescence spectrophotometer for sensitive TRF and steady-state measurements.

Main Results and Discussion

1. FTIR enabled non-destructive authentication of edible bird nests and detection of adulterants such as carbonates, sugar, salt and MSG in seconds.
2. Handheld FTIR PLSR models predicted tomato quality parameters (Brix, pH, sugars, acids) comparable to benchtop instruments.
3. ATR-FTIR techniques provided rapid QA/QC assays for dairy powders, flours, sugars and tea, identifying unique spectral signatures across matrices.
4. Portable FTIR analyzers measured adulterants in milk, authenticated pesticides, and quantified acrylamide in potato chips at regulatory levels.
5. Fluorescence spectroscopy (ORAC assay) on the Cary Eclipse quantified antioxidant capacity in serum with precise temperature control.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Molecular spectroscopy delivers fast, high-throughput, low-sample-prep analyses, enabling in-field, at-site or at-dock screening. Intuitive software and portable instrumentation support actionable quality and safety decisions in food production, logistics and QA/QC operations.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Continued miniaturization and integration of spectroscopy with AI-driven chemometrics, expanded spectral libraries, real-time process monitoring and mobile connectivity are poised to enhance precision food analytics and traceability.

Conclusion

The Agilent compendium underscores the versatility and impact of molecular spectroscopy methods for comprehensive food analysis, meeting the food industry’s needs for safety, authenticity and quality assurance across the supply chain.

Reference

• Agilent Technologies. Molecular Spectroscopy Compendium. 2014.