Chromatography and Analytical Techniques

Food & Beverage Testing

Chromatography plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, quality, and authenticity of food and beverages. Techniques like HPLC, GC, and LC-MS/MS are widely applied for detecting contaminants, residues, additives, and nutritional components. Recent innovations in fast chromatography, improved stationary phases, and miniaturized systems have enhanced analytical speed and sensitivity, supporting both regulatory compliance and industry quality control standards. Applications include the detection of pesticide residues, mycotoxins, food allergens, flavor compounds, and preservatives, as well as profiling bioactive nutrients and functional ingredients. Isotope ratio analysis and fingerprinting methods also help in confirming food origin and authenticity, combating food fraud. With increasing demand for trace-level detection and real-time analysis, integrated systems with AI-assisted interpretation and automation are becoming standard in modern food laboratories. Regulatory authorities such as the FDA, EFSA, and WHO mandate stringent testing protocols, which chromatography fulfills reliably. This session delves into the evolving role of chromatographic methods in food testing, highlighting advancements that enable faster, greener, and more comprehensive assessments to protect public health.