Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) can help you elevate your food ingredient authenticity and profiling analysis. Detect residual chemical compounds, confirm identification, and quantify contaminants and adulterants with confidence.

Authenticity and profiling analysis are critical to ensure consumer safety and regulatory compliance throughout the food supply chain. Because the increased demand for high-quality, all-natural ingredients has outstripped the availability, there is a high risk of substitution to preserve profits. The real problem arises when the substitutions are not clearly declared on labels. In addition to the issue of misrepresentation, food mislabeling could lead to expensive food recalls for food manufacturers or, more importantly, deadly consequences for consumers.

Consumers rely on food labels to help them make informed choices. They should feel confident that the product is labeled accurately, and that they are getting the quality goods they intended to buy. For regulators, this means taking on the responsibility of enforcing policies and standards to protect consumers against false or misleading food labels.

Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 is the main law regulating food labeling in the European Union. It mandates clear and accurate food labels. The comprehensive law requires food labels to include full ingredients lists, nutrition information, food additives, and allergens, among other things. In the United States, similar food laws aim to prevent consumer deception and ensure fair trade practices and food safety:

• Food Allergens Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA)
• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C)
• Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA)

Ingredient Profiling Analysis and the Science Behind Food
There are more than 370 ingredients identified as GRAS, or “Generally Recognized as Safe”, for use as food additives.1 But how many of its ingredients must be on the list before a product is considered potentially harmful or potentially healthful?

Whether you are looking at the food chemistry of natural or artificial products, SCIEX provides food scientists and technologists with ingredient analysis solutions that can quantify the compositional integrity and quality of both raw materials and finished products. The high level of accuracy SCIEX provides is needed to meet labeling requirements and to enable producers to protect their brand and the quality and consistency of the products they produce.

1 US FDA SCOGS (Select Committee on GRAS Substances)