BOOK OF ABSTRACTS - 9th International Symposium on RECENT ADVANCES IN FOOD ANALYSIS (RAFA)

Significance of the Topic

The 9th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis brought together academia, industry and regulatory experts to address emerging analytical challenges in ensuring food safety, quality and authenticity. Rapid technological advances in separation science, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy and bioassays are driving improvements in sensitivity, throughput and robustness of methods used in laboratories worldwide.

Objectives and Overview of the Symposium

The symposium featured vendor seminars, invited lectures and poster sessions. Its aims were to:

• Share novel sample-preparation and detection workflows for contaminants, residues and natural compounds
• Showcase targeted and non-targeted screening strategies with advanced instrumentation
• Discuss integration of chemometrics, omics approaches and digital tools for data analysis and decision making
• Foster collaboration on reference materials, proficiency testing and harmonization of methods

Applied Instrumentation

Key technologies highlighted included:

• Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high-resolution Orbitrap platforms for multi-residue screening of pesticides, mycotoxins and process contaminants
• Gas chromatography×gas chromatography (GC×GC) coupled to time-of-flight (TOF) or flame-ionization detection for detailed volatile and hydrocarbon profiling
• Supercritical fluid chromatography–mass spectrometry (SFC-MS) for non-polar analytes
• Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for elemental and metalloid speciation
• Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) hyphenated to MS for isomer separation and rapid fingerprinting
• Vibrational spectroscopy (mid-infrared, Raman and near-infrared) for non-invasive authenticity checks
• Ambient and direct-analysis MS techniques (DART, REIMS) for real-time profiling
• High-throughput immunoassays, lateral-flow tests and microarray biochips for allergen, toxin and pathogen detection
• Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and DNA barcoding for species and GMO identification

Main Results and Discussion

Participants demonstrated improved limits of detection for trace contaminants, robust non-targeted screening frameworks, and comprehensive multi-class methods for over 1,400 analytes. The integration of chemometrics and machine-learning models enhanced discrimination of food origin and fraud detection. Advances in automation and miniaturized sample-preparation workflows contributed to reduced uncertainty and higher laboratory throughput.

Practical Benefits and Applications

Adoption of these innovations supports regulators and industry in:

• Meeting stringent EU and international maximum residue limits
• Rapidly screening large sample batches for compliance and authenticity
• Developing portable and at-line devices for on-site testing
• Strengthening food-chain transparency through digital platforms and blockchain

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging areas include:

• Artificial intelligence combined with big-data platforms for predictive food integrity monitoring
• Integration of exposome research and human biomonitoring to link consumption patterns with health outcomes
• Expansion of certified reference materials and interlaboratory studies for method harmonization
• Development of smart sensors and smartphone-based assays for consumer empowerment

Conclusion

The symposium underscored a paradigm shift toward comprehensive, high-throughput, and data-driven food analysis. Continued collaboration and standardization will be key to translating these technological gains into routine practice, thereby safeguarding global food chains.