Shimadzu’s Total Support for Food Safety

Significance of the Topic

Ensuring food safety requires sensitive, reliable analytical techniques to detect contaminants, additives and defects across the supply chain. Methods capable of rapid multi-residue screening, accurate quantitation and automated data management enable compliance with global regulations and protect consumer health.

Objectives and Study Overview

This whitepaper reviews Shimadzu’s integrated approach to food safety analysis, covering instrumentation, methodologies and software solutions. The goal is to demonstrate total support “farm-to-fork” through advanced analytical platforms, supporting residue testing, contaminant identification, packaging evaluation and data management.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

Shimadzu’s food safety toolkit encompasses:

• Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometers (LCMS-8060, triple quadrupole)
• Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometers (GCMS-TQ8050, Smart MRM)
• Conventional GC and HPLC systems (Nexis GC-2030, Nexera Ultra, Prominence Series)
• MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer (AXIMA)
• Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AA-7000)
• ICP Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICPE-9800)
• ICP Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS-2030)
• X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDX-7000/8000)
• UV-VIS Spectrophotometer (UV-1900)
• FTIR Spectrophotometer (IRTracer-100)
• Universal Testing Machines (EZ Test, AG series)
• LC-GC Online System for MOSH/MOAH
• Multi-analyte Quantitation Software (LabSolutions Insight)
• Network-compatible Data Management (LabSolutions CS)

Main Results and Discussion

• Residual Pesticides: LC-MS/MS MRM enabled simultaneous analysis of 646 pesticides in 10.5 min (10 ng/mL) with RSDs below 6 %. GC-MS/MS Smart MRM quantified 439 pesticides with minimal method development time.
• Veterinary Pharmaceuticals: LC-MS/MS determined 89 drugs in pork; MRM Spectrum Mode improved identification confidence across 212 compounds without sacrificing sensitivity.
• Mycotoxins: HPLC-FLD and PDA achieved aflatoxin detection in under 4 min without derivatization. LC-MS/MS screened 25 mycotoxins in 12 min; seven method packages cover regulations in US, EU, China and Japan.
• Microorganisms: MALDI-TOF MS delivered species-level ID within two minutes using the AXIMA system and customizable iDPlus database.
• Toxic Metals: AA-7000 and ICPE-9800 quantified Cd and Pb in food matrices with detection limits in low µg/g. EDX-7000/8000 identified metal fragments in solid samples non-destructively.
• Food Additives: LC-MS/MS determined melamine and DCD in milk powder at sub-ng/g levels. UV-VIS and LC validated preservatives and Sudan dyes in complex matrices.
• Flavor and Sweeteners: Fast GC-MS separated 19 volatile flavor compounds in 6 min. LC-MS/MS simultaneously quantified 16 high-potency sweeteners with r² > 0.997.
• Processing By-Products: LC-MS/MS measured acrylamide in potato chips across 1–500 ppb. Allergens: 150 MRM transitions detected 31 peptides from eight regulated foods at ppm levels.
• Off-Flavor Analysis: GC-MS with an expert database identified mold-related anisoles at pg/mg concentrations in contaminated samples.
• Foreign Matter: FTIR microscopy and EDXRF characterized organic residues and inorganic fragments on food surfaces.
• Packaging Strength and Contaminants: Universal testers measured seal peel forces on pouches. LC-GC online analyzed MOSH/MOAH contamination without manual transfer.
• Halal Testing: LC-MS/MS MRM workflows detected porcine peptide markers in processed products at 0.1 % levels.
• Data Management: LabSolutions CS connects all instruments across the network for unified data acquisition, instrument control and audit-ready reporting.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Shimadzu’s platforms deliver high throughput, sensitivity and selectivity, reducing method development time. Pre-validated databases and method packages ensure regulatory compliance. Software automation streamlines data processing, supporting QA/QC, R&D and regulatory laboratories in government, industry and academia.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Emerging directions include artificial-intelligence-driven data interpretation, real-time process monitoring, expanded spectral libraries for novel contaminants, miniaturized field-deployable systems and deeper integration of multi-omics for comprehensive food safety assessment.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s total support concept combines cutting-edge instrumentation, optimized methodologies and networked software to create an end-to-end food safety solution. This integrated approach enhances analytical efficiency, regulatory compliance and consumer protection.

References

C136, C106/C107, C99, C161, L435, L512, C146, C133, AD-0153; AOAC 2017 P-W-021; ASMS 2014 MP342.