Solid Fat Content Analyzer

Solid Fat Content (SFC) determination is of prime importance for food processing and development. Raw materials like fat compositions or blends need to be characterized and controlled according to their melting profiles. The SFC determination by time domain (TD) NMR analysis is the internationally recognized standard method. In a close partnership with the oil &…

Droplet size distribution in food emulsions

Water-in-oil (W/O) and oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions are found in everyday meals, mainly as margarine, low fat spread, and butter (W/O) or, as mayonnaise, salad dressing, and soft cheese (O/W). The droplet size distribution in these emulsions influences their taste, smell, and appearance, as well as their shelf life and spread behavior. Bruker’s minispec allows a…

Oil & Moisture Analysis in Seeds and Residues

Since seeds are pressed to extract the oil, the price of seeds depends on their oil content and thereby farmers are paid accordingly. Therefore, oil mills and analytical laboratories evaluate large amounts of samples every day, especially during the harvest season. Moisture content is controlled to ensure good storage. Additionally moisture has to be carefully…

USEPA Methods 502.2 and 8021B using the Eclipse Purge-and-Trap (P&T) Sample Concentrator and PID/ELCD Tandem Detectors

In 1986 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) introduced Method 502.2 (1) to monitor the levels of 60 aromatic and halogenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water. Some of the volatile contaminants on this list are halogen-containing VOCs, and others contain aromatic properties. The unique characteristics of these components make them excellent candidates…

A Novel Extraction Technique for Aqueous Samples: Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction

The analysis of organic compounds in aqueous environmen tal, biomedical, food and fragrance matrices is normally performed after extraction and enrichment of the solutes from the matrix (drinking water, waste water, body fluids, beverages,…). Most used sample preparation methods are based on liquid-gas extraction or equilibrium (purge and trap, headspace), liquid-liquid extraction or solid phase…

Corkiness in Wine- Trace Analysis of 2,4,6- Trichloroanisole by Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) and Thermal Desorption GC/MS

2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (TCA) is well known as being the main cause for corkiness in wine. Its extremely low odor threshold usually mandidates enrichment and concentration steps before it is available for precise quantitation. This paper describes the applicability of a recently developed, novel and simple approach for sorptive extraction of organic compounds from aqueous samples for…

Flavor Profiling of Beverages by Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) and Thermal Desorption GC/MS/PFPD

The analysis of flavor compounds in beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages usually requires cumbersome sample preparation steps such as liquid/liquid extraction, solid phase extraction or distillation techniques, often with the drawback of organic solvent use. Headspace and purge & trap methods do not use organic solvents, but their analyte range…

Determination of Flavor and Off Flavor Compounds in Dairy Products using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) and Thermal Desorption GC/MSD/PFPD

The analysis of flavor compounds in dairy products such milk, cream, yoghurt and cheese as well as their blends with several ingredients usually requires cumbersome sample preparation steps such as liquid/liquid extraction, solid phase extraction or distillation techniques, often with the drawback of organic solvent use. Headspace and purge & trap methods do not use…

Comparison of the Sensitivity of Static Headspace GC, Solid Phase Microextraction, and Direct Thermal Extraction for Analysis of Volatiles in Solid Matrices

The analysis of volatiles in solids is a common analytical problem. Examples include volatile aroma compounds in foods and plant materials (coffee, tea, and herbs), residual fragrances from soaps and fabric softeners on textiles, and volatiles in polymer resins, films and plastic products. Several techniques are available that allow direct analysis of the volatiles in…

Analysis of Wet Samples by Direct Thermal Desorption GC

The analysis of volatiles in solids is a common analytical problem. Examples include volatile aroma compounds in foods (coffee, tea, herbs), residual fragrances from soaps and fabric softeners on textiles, and volatiles in polymer resins, films and plastic products. When high sensitivity analysisis needed, many of these sample types can be analyzed by direct thermal…

Flavor Profiling of Olive Oils using TDS

Flavor is an important quality criterion for virgin olive oils. The identification of the compounds causing the flavor or off-flavor therefore is the key for quality control. Their analysis in olive oils usually requires more or less cumbersome sample preparation like liquid/liquid extraction, solid phase extraction or distillation techniques, often with the drawback of organic…

Quantitative determination of trace analytes in solid materials by thermal desorption GC

Direct thermal extraction of solids has most commonly been used for qualitative identification of trace materials such as additives, impurities and residual monomer or solvents. The technique has many benefits including reduced matrix interference, eliminating solvent extractions, and significant improvements in detection limits relative to liquid extraction techniques. Many types of solid materials are amenable…

Elimination of polar matrix components prior to GC analysis using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE)

Analysis of samples containing polar matrix components such as water, glycols, sugars or surfactants by gas chromatography has usually required extensive cleanup such as liquid/liquid extraction, solid phase extraction or distillation. Some polar matrix components like acetic acid or ethanol are highly volatile and difficult to eliminate using traditional sample preparation techniques. Poor analyte peak…

Elucidation of the hoppy aroma in beers by stir bar and headspace sorptive extraction followed by thermal desorption CGC-MSD/PFPD

The elucidation of the “hoppy aroma note” in beer has always been a challenging task. The main reason without any doubt is the lack of sensitive and selective analytical methods. In the brewery industry, organoleptic panels very often identify a hoppy note in beers, but analytical evidence cannot support their observations. Two new sampling techniques,…