Mérieux NutriSciences develops method to determine contaminants in bakery products
Mérieux NutriSciences and Barilla have created a method to identify food contaminants simultaneously in bakery raw materials and finished products.
The R&D team used the LC-HRMS Exactive (Orbitrap Technology) to describe the quantitative validation of targeted molecules (pesticides, antibiotics and toxins) in bakery matrices and tested the effectiveness of the technology in identifying untargeted molecules through retrospective investigations.
“This alternative to the traditional tandem mass spectrometry approach allows for additional flexibility in post-acquisition data processing with the advantage of executing retrospective data mining,” said Pierre Metra, PhD, Mérieux NutriSciences R&D chemistry director.
“In addition to “traditional” multi-residues MRM mass spectrometry techniques capable of quantifying a list of targeted compounds, the global food industry requires non targeted methods capable of detecting possible new contaminants or potentially hazardous molecule,” he added.
The method is the result of research from the screening of field samples, and will be extended to other food commodities. It will also be presented at an AOAC International Conference later this year.
