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Mass spectrometry has been widely accepted as a confirmatory tool for the sensitive detection of undeclared presence of allergenic ingredients. Multiple methods have been developed so far, achieving different levels of sensitivity and robustness, still lacking harmonization of the analytical validation and impairing comparability of results. In this investigation, a quantitative method has been validated in-house for the determination of six allergenic ingredients (cow's milk, hen's egg, peanut, soybean, hazelnut, and almond) in a chocolate-based matrix. The latter has been produced in a food pilot plant to provide a real and well-characterized matrix for proper assessment of method performance characteristics according to official guidelines. In particular, recent considerations issued by the European Committee for Standardization have been followed to guide a rigorous single-laboratory validation and to feature the main method performance, such as selectivity, linearity, and sensitivity. Synthetic surrogates of the peptide markers have been used both in native and labelled forms in matrix-matched calibration curves as external calibrants and internal standards, respectively. A two-order of magnitude range was investigated, focusing on the low concentration range for proper assessment of the detection and quantification limits (LOD and LOQ) by rigorous calibration approach. Conversion factors for all six allergenic ingredients have been determined for the first time to report the final quantitative information as fraction of total allergenic food protein (TAFP) per mass of food (µgTAFP/gfood), since such a reporting unit is exploitable in allergenic risk assessment plans. The method achieved good sensitivity with LOD values ranging between 0.08 and 0.2 µgTAFP/gfood, for all ingredients besides egg and soybean, whose quantitative markers reported a slightly higher limit (1.1 and 1.2 µgTAFP/gfood, respectively). Different samples of chocolate bar incurred at four defined concentration levels close to the currently available threshold doses have been analyzed to test the quantitative performance of the analytical method, with a proper estimate of the measurement uncertainty from different sources of variability. The sensitivity achieved resulted in compliance with the various threshold doses issued or recommended worldwide.

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Visual examination of visually recognisable substances, including microscopy, focus on targets or contaminants such as particles of animal origin, plant seeds, spore bodies of moulds, sclerotia, packaging material, microplastic and 'Besatz' (everything that differs from the norm). The two principal results are counts (numbers) and weights for macroscopic methods, or presence/absence for microscopic methods. The level of detection equals at least the size of one unit, usually with a weight exceeding 1 mg, which is in the range of parts per million (ppm). These parameters do not follow a normal distribution but Poisson (counts), lognormal (weights) or binomial (Booleans) distributions, with effect on the interpretation of validation parameters. As for other domains, examination methods for visual monitoring need to be properly validated and quality control during actual application is needed. In most cases procedures for validation of visual methods are based on principles adopted from other domains, such as chemical analysis. A series of examples from publications show inconsistent or not correct implementations of these validation procedures, which stress the need for dedicated validation procedures. Identification of legal ingredients and composition analysis in the domain of visual examination relies on the expertise of the laboratory staff, therefore validation of a method usually includes the validation of the expert. In the view of these specific circumstances, a Guidance for quality assurance and control of visual methods has been developed, which are being presented and discussed in this paper. The general framework of the Guidance is adopted from ISO standards (17023, 17043, 13528). Part 1 of the Guidance includes the general background, theory and principles. Part 2 presents the actual validation procedures with experimental designs and equations for calculating the relevant parameters, and can be used as blueprint for a SOP in a quality management system. An EURL and NRL network for physical hazards is strongly recommended.

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Background: Measurement uncertainty is typically expressed in terms of a symmetric interval y±U, where y denotes the measurement result and U the expanded uncertainty. However, in the case of heteroscedasticity, symmetric uncertainty intervals can be misleading. In this paper, a different approach for the calculation of uncertainty intervals is introduced. Methods: This approach is applicable when a validation study has been conducted with samples with known concentrations. In a first step, test results are obtained at the different known concentration levels. Then, on the basis of precision estimates, a prediction range is calculated. The measurement uncertainty for a given test result can then be obtained by projecting the intersection of the test result with the limits of the prediction range back onto the axis of the known values, now interpreted as representing the measurand. Results: It will be shown how, under certain circumstances, asymmetric uncertainty intervals arise quite naturally and lead to more reliable uncertainty intervals. Conclusions: This article establishes a conceptual framework in which measurement uncertainty can be derived from precision whenever the relationship between the latter and concentration has been characterized. This approach is applicable for different types of distributions. Closed expressions for the limits of the uncertainty interval are provided for the simple case of normally distributed test results and constant relative standard deviation.

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Minor compounds in vegetable oils are distributed between free and esterified forms, and the ratio of these two fractions could represent an important parameter for assessment of oil authenticity. A simple method based on offline SPE-GC-FID for the analysis of free and esterified hydroxylated minor compounds in olive and sunflower oils has been developed and in-house validated. A satisfactory repeatability relative standard deviation (<7.5%) was obtained in all cases. The method, which requires simple instrumentation, allows for reliable quantification in a single chromatographic run with the advantages of minimizing sample manipulation, use of toxic solvents and reagents, and time consumption. The analytical procedure was applied to pure oil samples, including 15 authentic extra virgin olive oils collected from different European countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal). Finally, the proposed SPE-GC-FID methodology could detect changes in the ratio between the free and esterified forms in pure extra virgin olive oil when mixed with refined sunflower oil at different percentages of 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20% (w/w) to simulate adulteration.

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The suitability of asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled on-line to multi-angle light scattering (MALS) and UV diode array (UV-DAD) detectors was tested to simultaneously detect polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and collect information about their size. A mixture of four sizes of PS-NPs at 20 nm, 60 nm, 100 nm and 200 nm was prepared by dilution with ultrapure deionized water and gentle mixing and was used as test sample for a polydisperse nanoplastic system. The AF4 method separated each single size of PS-NP mixture in a total time of 48 min by using 0.2% SDS as carrier solution. Then, the PS-NPs were sized and detected by following their MALS (90° scattering angle) and UV (215 nm) signals. Quality control (QC) performances as linearity, between-day repeatability, resolution factor, trueness/recovery, limit of detection (LoD) and selectivity were calculated, according to the ISO/TS 21362:2018. Method uncertainty was calculated following the ISO/TS 21748:2002 by summing between-day repeatability and trueness or recovery uncertainties. In-house validation results demonstrated good peak resolution and selectivity, R2 linearity of 0.998-0.999 in the range 50-1000 µg/mL, between-day repeatability of ca. 10%, trueness/recovery above 90% and LoD between 15 µg/mL (20 nm) and 33 µg/mL (200 nm). Expanded uncertainty was 16.1-17.9% on PS-NP size between 60 and 200 nm and 10.4-14.7% on PS-NP concentration between 100 and 1000 µg/mL. Compared to traditional single-technique analysis, this hyphenated method offers great promise for separating and analysing diverse populations of PS-NPs present in real matrices, which is critical for health and risk assessment studies and any regulatory action.

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A simple and reliable method using liquid chromatography with diode array detector was developed for the simultaneous determination of florfenicol and thiamphenicol in medicated feed. The analytes were extracted from the minced feed with methanol and ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v). Next, the extract was further cleaned up by dispersive solid phase extraction using anhydrous magnesium sulfate, PSA and C18 sorbents. Finally, 1 mL of extract was evaporated, the residue resuspended in Milli-Q water, and filtered. The method was validated in-house at medicated levels, in the concentration range 10-300 µg/mL (50-1500 mg/kg). Values of <6.5% and <6.0% were found, respectively, for repeatability and within-laboratory reproducibility. The LODs for the two fenicols were 2.4-5.3 mg/kg, while the LOQs were 3.8-5.6 mg/kg. The expanded uncertainty was estimated to be in the range of 10.0-14.5%, depending on the analyte. Recoveries varied from 81.7% to 97.5%. The methodology was applied to the analysis of animal feedingstuffs collected from poultry and pig farms.

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Genetically modified alfalfa is authorized for cultivation in several countries since 2005. On the other hand, cultivation in or export to the European Union is not allowed and thus neither certified reference material nor official event-specific detection methods are available. Therefore, based on patent sequence information, event-specific real-time PCR detection methods targeting the junction sequence of the alfalfa genome and the transgenic insert of the respective events J101, J163 and KK179 were developed. Newly developed plasmids were used as reference material for assay optimization and in-house validation. Plasmid standards were quantified using digital droplet PCR and LOD95%, PCR efficiency, robustness and specificity of the assays were determined using real-time PCR. A LOD95% of 10 copies per PCR reaction was observed and PCR efficiencies of 95-97 % were achieved. Different real-time PCR instruments and PCR conditions were applied to test for robustness of the assays using DNA at a concentration of 30 copies per µL for each gm alfalfa event. All replicates were positive independent of the instrument or the PCR condition. DNA from certified reference material of different genetically modified crops as well as reference materials of the three events was used to experimentally test for specificity. No unspecific amplification signal was observed for any of the assays. Validation results were in line with the "Minimum Performance Requirements for Analytical Methods of GMO Testing" of the European Network of GMO Laboratories. Furthermore, an inter-laboratory comparison study was conducted to show the transferability and applicability of the methods and to verify the assay performance parameters.

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A sensitive and robust LC-MS/MS method allowing the rapid screening and confirmation of selective androgen receptor modulators in bovine urine was developed and successfully validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, chapter 3.1.3 'alternative validation', by applying a matrix-comprehensive in-house validation concept. The confirmation of the analytes in the validation samples was achieved both on the basis of the MRM ion ratios as laid down in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and by comparison of their enhanced product ion (EPI) spectra with a reference mass spectral library by making use of the QTRAP technology. Here, in addition to the MRM survey scan, EPI spectra were generated in a data-dependent way according to an information-dependent acquisition criterion. Moreover, stability studies of the analytes in solution and in matrix according to an isochronous approach proved the stability of the analytes in solution and in matrix for at least the duration of the validation study. To identify factors that have a significant influence on the test method in routine analysis, a factorial effect analysis was performed. To this end, factors considered to be relevant for the method in routine analysis (e.g. operator, storage duration of the extracts before measurement, different cartridge lots and different hydrolysis conditions) were systematically varied on two levels. The examination of the extent to which these factors influence the measurement results of the individual analytes showed that none of the validation factors exerts a significant influence on the measurement results.

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In recent years, mass spectrometry (MS) has been establishing its role in the development of analytical methods for multiple allergen detection, but most analyses are being carried out on low-resolution mass spectrometers such as triple quadrupole or ion traps. In this investigation, performance provided by a high resolution (HR) hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap™ MS platform for the multiple allergens detection in processed food matrix is presented. In particular, three different acquisition modes were compared: full-MS, targeted-selected ion monitoring with data-dependent fragmentation (t-SIM/dd2), and parallel reaction monitoring. In order to challenge the HR-MS platform, the sample preparation was kept as simple as possible, limited to a 30-min ultrasound-aided protein extraction followed by clean-up with disposable size exclusion cartridges. Selected peptide markers tracing for five allergenic ingredients namely skim milk, whole egg, soy flour, ground hazelnut, and ground peanut were monitored in home-made cookies chosen as model processed matrix. Timed t-SIM/dd2 was found the best choice as a good compromise between sensitivity and accuracy, accomplishing the detection of 17 peptides originating from the five allergens in the same run. The optimized method was validated in-house through the evaluation of matrix and processing effects, recoveries, and precision. The selected quantitative markers for each allergenic ingredient provided quantification of 60-100 µgingred/g allergenic ingredient/matrix in incurred cookies.

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A gas-chromatographic single-quadrupole analytical method for the analysis of the 16 priority European Union (EU) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food is presented. The method fulfils the request of Regulation EU 836/2011 for an analytical procedure to be used for official control of PAHs in food in EU member states. The sample preparation involves a pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) with an in-cell clean-up step followed by a lipid removal using solid-phase extraction (SPE) on a styrene divinylbenzene stationary phase (SDVB) and a final gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) step. To reach a better sensitivity for all the analytes, including the heaviest last eluting PAHs, 3 µl of the purified extract were injected in solvent vent mode using a programmable temperature vaporization (PTV) injector. The isobaric PAH isomers were successfully separated using an Agilent Technologies DB-17MS (20 m × 0.18 mm × 0.18 µm) column. The method was fully validated using an in-house approach and the sensitivity, accuracy and precision obtained were satisfactory. The method expanded uncertainty was estimated and it was verified that it was below the maximum standard measurement uncertainty. Moreover, the results of 347 samples of meat and meat products, fish and fish products and mussels collected from January 2012 to December 2016 in the Marche and Umbria regions of Italy are reported. None of the samples exceed the maximum levels fixed by EU Regulation 835/2011, and clams turned out to be the most contaminated among the food matrices analysed. Finally, an estimate of the sum of four marker PAHs (benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene) as indicator of the PAHs contamination was done by comparison with the 16 carcinogenic PAHs sum.

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The rational strategy in the evaluation of analytical measurement uncertainty is to combine the "whole method" performance data, such as precision and recovery, with the uncertainty contributions from sources not adequately covered by those data. This paper highlights some common mistakes in evaluating the uncertainty when pursuing that strategy, as revealed in current chromatographic literature. The list of the uncertainty components usually taken into account is discussed first and fallacies with the LOD- and recovery uncertainties are noted. Close attention is paid to the uncertainty arising from a linear calibration normally used. It is demonstrated that following a well-known formula for the standard deviation of an analytical result obtained from a straight line calibration leads to double counting the precision contribution to the uncertainty budget. Furthermore, the precision component itself is often estimated improperly, based on the number of replicates taken from the precision assessment experiment. As a result, the relative uncertainty from linear calibration is overestimated in the budget and may become the largest contribution to the combined uncertainty, which is clearly shown with an example calculation based on the literature data.

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Corn syrups, important ingredients used in food and beverage industries, often contain high levels of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF), a toxic contaminant. In this work, an in house validation of a difference spectrophotometric method for HMF analysis in corn syrups was developed using sophisticated statistical tools by the first time. The methodology showed excellent analytical performance with good selectivity, linearity (R2=99.9%, r>0.99), accuracy and low limits (LOD=0.10mgL-1 and LOQ=0.34mgL-1). An excellent precision was confirmed by repeatability (RSD (%)=0.30) and intermediate precision (RSD (%)=0.36) estimates and by Horrat value (0.07). A detailed study of method precision using a nested design demonstrated that variation sources such as instruments, operators and time did not interfere in the variability of results within laboratory and consequently in its intermediate precision. The developed method is environmentally friendly, fast, cheap and easy to implement resulting in an attractive alternative for corn syrups quality control in industries and official laboratories.

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In this work the development and in house validation of the HMF direct determination in corn and cane syrups by HPLC-UV was carried out for the first time. The separation was done with isocratic elution of a mobile phase comprising water (with 0.5% formic acid) and acetonitrile (90:10, v/v) on Phenomenex C18 column (5.0 µm, 4.6 × 150 mm), at 30 °C, flow rate of 0.8 mL min(-1) and detection at 285 nm. The validated method showed excellent performance with low limits (LOD and LOQ of 0.09 and 0.26 mg L(-1), respectively), good accuracy (recovery rates between 100% and 104%) and precision (RSD's for repeatability and intermediate precision between 0.57% and 6.43%). Good selectivity and linearity were also observed. HMF contents in both foods were very high (406.6-2121.3 mg kg(-1) for corn syrup and 109.2-893.1 mg kg(-1) for cane syrup), which arouses concern about food safety of these products.

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An LC-MS/MS method is proposed for the analysis of sterigmatocystin in cereals and feed. The method is based on a solid-liquid extraction and a dilute-and-shoot approach. Accuracy and precision were established at the LOQ (1 µg kg(-1)); the mean overall recovery (n = 6) was 98%, with a confidence interval of 3.8% and a CV% of 3.7%. Accuracy and precision were also assessed at three other concentration levels (2.03, 5.07 and 10.14 µg kg(-1); six replicates per level). The mean overall recovery (n = 24, LOQ included) was 99% with a confidence interval of 0.8% and a CV% of 1.9%. The method was then applied to 14 naturally incurred feed samples. Aflatoxin B1 was present in the range 28.7-240.1 µg kg(-1), while lower concentrations of sterigmatocystin were found (0.7-2.2 µg kg(-1)). This method may represent a valuable choice, ensuring a high level of accuracy and precision, as well as high-throughput performance. Therefore, it meets the recent EFSA opinion recommendation in terms of availability of fast and sensitive methods (recommended LOQ = 1.5 µg kg(-1)) in order to increase data collection to allow for the assessment of dietary exposure.

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In this study, we developed, optimized, and in-house validated a real-time PCR method for the event-specific detection and quantification of Golden Rice 2, a genetically modified rice with provitamin A in the grain. We optimized and evaluated the performance of the taxon (targeting rice Phospholipase D α2 gene)- and event (targeting the 3' insert-to-plant DNA junction)-specific assays that compose the method as independent modules, using haploid genome equivalents as unit of measurement. We verified the specificity of the two real-time PCR assays and determined their dynamic range, limit of quantification, limit of detection, and robustness. We also confirmed that the taxon-specific DNA sequence is present in single copy in the rice genome and verified its stability of amplification across 132 rice varieties. A relative quantification experiment evidenced the correct performance of the two assays when used in combination.

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A chromatographic method is proposed for the analysis of aflatoxin B1 in cereal-based feed, particularly targeted to dairy animals. The method is based on a solid-liquid extraction followed by a Mycosep 226 clean-up. Accuracy and precision were established at the LOQ (1 µg kg⁻¹) with a spiked sample as well as with two other different naturally contaminated reference materials. The mean overall recovery (n = 18) was 100.8%, with a confidence interval of 2.7% and a CV% of 5.5%. The performance of the proposed method was compared with the AOAC method based on the use of immunoaffinity chromatography columns, proving that it could be considered a valid alternative. Moreover, the sample preparation is very simple and straightforward, potentially being applicable as a high-throughput method. On account of its simplicity and low cost, the method may be applied to the analysis of a large number of samples in the occasion of outbreaks of large-scale contamination.

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A simple, rapid and cost-effective sample preparation method for the determination of fumonisin B1 in rice was optimised using a strategy of sequential experimental designs. Initially, a Plackett-Burman design was applied to select the statistically significant variables for the determination of fumonisin B1, and then, a central composite rotatable design was used to define the optimal conditions of these variables. The method involves extraction with a 50% acetonitrile aqueous solution and glacial acetic acid, liquid-liquid partitioning with addition of anhydrous sodium sulphate and sodium chloride, followed by dispersive SPE clean-up with diatomaceous earth. The final extract was analysed by HPLC-FLD after precolumn derivatisation with ortho-phthaldialdehyde. The optimised method was validated for selectivity, linearity, matrix effect, limits of detection and quantification, trueness, and precision, and then applied to commercial samples of polished rice. This is the first report of the occurrence of fumonisin B1 in commercial samples of polished rice from the Southeast region of Brazil.

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In this work, a simple chromatographic method is proposed and in-house validated for the quantification of total and individual fructooligossacharides (e.g., 1-kestose, nystose, and 1(F)-fructofuranosylnystose). It was shown that a high-performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detector could be used to monitor the dynamic of fructooligossacharides production via sucrose fermentation using Aspergillus aculeatus. This analytical technique may be easily implemented at laboratorial or industrial scale for fructooligossacharides mass-production monitoring allowing also controlling the main substrate (sucrose) and the secondary by-products (glucose and fructose). The proposed chromatographic method had a satisfactory intra- and inter-day variability (in general, with a relative standard deviation lower than 5%), high sensitivity for each sugar (usually, with a relative error lower than 5%), and low detection (lower than 0.06 ± 0.04 g/L) and quantification (lower than 0.2 ± 0.1 g/L) limits. The correct quantification of fructooligossacharides in fermentative media may allow a more precise nutritional formulation of new functional foods, since it is reported that different fructooligossacharides exhibit different biological activities and effects.

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Acrylamide (AA) is a chemical found in starchy foods that have been cooked at high temperatures. The objective of this study is to monitor the levels of AA in a total of 274 samples of potato chips, chips (except potato chips), biscuits, French fries, breakfast cereals, chocolate products, tea, seasoned laver, and nut products sampled in Korean market. These processed foods include (1) potato chips, (2) chips (except potato chips), (3) biscuits, (4) French fries, (5) breakfast cereals, (6) chocolate products, (7) tea, (8) seasoned laver, and (9) nut products. Samples used for this study were cleaned up using HLB Oasis polymeric and Accucat mixed-mode anion and cation exchange solid-phase extraction cartridge. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) was validated in-house as an efficient analytical method for the routine analysis of AA in various food products. AA was detected with a Fortis dC18 (1.7 µm, 100 mm × 2.1 mm) column using 0.5% methanol/0.1% acetic acid in water as the mobile phase. Good results were obtained with respect to repeatability (RSDs < 5%). The recoveries obtained for a variety of food matrices ranged between 94.5% and 107.6%. Quantification during routine monitoring was sensitive enough to detect AA at a concentration of 10 µg/kg. A total of 274 food samples were analyzed for AA. The AA levels in the food groups were in the following order: potato chips > French fries > biscuits > tea > chips (except potato chips) > seasoned laver > breakfast cereals > chocolate products > nut products. AA was detected at levels ranging from not detectable to 1435 µg/kg.

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A reversed-phase HPLC optimization strategy is presented for investigating the separation and retention behavior of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A and zearalenone, simultaneously. A fractional factorial design (FFD) was used to screen the significance effect of seven independent variables on chromatographic responses. The independent variables used were: (X1) column oven temperature (20-40°C), (X2) flow rate (0.8-1.2 ml/min), (X3) acid concentration in aqueous phase (0-2%), (X4) organic solvent percentage at the beginning (40-50%), and (X5) at the end (50-60%) of the gradient mobile phase, as well as (X6) ratio of methanol/acetonitrile at the beginning (1-4) and (X7) at the end (0-1) of gradient mobile phase. Responses of chromatographic analysis were resolution of mycotoxin peaks and HPLC run time. A central composite design (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM) was then carried out for optimization of the most significant factors by multiple regression models for response variables. The proposed optimal method using 40°C oven temperature, 1 ml/min flow rate, 0.1% acetic acid concentration in aqueous phase, 41% organic phase (beginning), 60% organic phase (end), 1.92 ratio of methanol to acetonitrile (beginning) and 0.2 ratio (end) for X1-X7, respectively, showed good prediction ability between the experimental data and predictive values throughout the studied parameter space. Finally, the optimized method was validated by measuring the linearity, sensitivity, accuracy and precision parameters, and has been applied successfully to the analysis of spiked cereal samples.

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