Optimization of chromatographic (UHPLC) separation methods for improved quantitative determination of nutritionally relevant food ingredients

Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) by adding a substance that is foreign to the food (exogenous) or already contained in the food (endogenous) to simulate better quality or to “stretch” a food has been an ever-increasing challenge for food analysis for years. The multitude of different possibilities for adulteration (due to the increased use of new manufacturing processes and technologies) requires a series of increasingly complex analytical procedures from a wide range of specialist areas. As part of this research project, chromatographic (UHPLC) methods for adulteration control are to be further developed and optimized (e.g., by optimizing the separation of the analytes, increasing the peak capacity, reducing the analysis time and costs, lowering the detection limits and the quantification limits). The aim of the work is to further improve the UHPLC analysis of B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12), of amino acids and biogenic amines or polyamines (e.g. spermidine), and also of breast milk proteins, whereby all three available LC systems (UPLC, H-Class, Alliance) as well as some new column systems (PREMIER from Waters) will be used. The research findings obtained are to be published in suitable scientific journals in order to be able to protect consumers even more effectively from misleading, deception and food fraud in the future.