Scientists improve LC-MS/MS processes

Scientists have used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine the level of benzophenone in food and drink.

In a study published by Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, a team from the University of Barcelona and Thermo Fisher Scientific, explained that the EU has set a specific migration limit for benzophenone of 600 µg/L in liquids such as milk and fruit juices, and there is an official toxicological tolerable daily intake.

However, it is difficult to test for the presence of benzophenone when there are high levels of ions in food or liquids, Spectroscopy Now reported.

The presence of these interfering compounds can result in false positives and false negatives, which makes testing more complex.

High ion ratio errors greater than 20 per cent prevented positive confirmation even when benzophenone is present.

The team managed to identify a way to avoid these false readings by switching to a high-resolution mass spectrometer, operating in full scan mode.

Posted by Neil Clark