Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), a Useful Tool in Authenticity of Agricultural Products' and Foods' Origin

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Profiling of Rare Earth Elements in Coffee

A rapid and efficient ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) procedure followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was developed for the determination of 14 rare earth elements (REEs) (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu), along with yttrium (Y) and scandium (Sc), in coffee samples. The method was validated using certified reference material (NIST SRM 1547), recovery tests at four fortification levels, and comparisons with microwave-assisted digestion (MAD). Excellent accuracy and precision were achieved, with recovery rates ranging from 80.1% to 112% and relative standard deviations (RSD%) below 14%. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.2 ng/kg (Yb) to 0.16 µg/kg (Nd). Total REE concentrations varied between 8.3 µg/kg and 1.1 mg/kg, with the highest individual mean concentrations (µg/kg) observed for Ce (11.7), La (6.0), and Sc (4.7). The lowest individual mean concentrations (µg/kg) were for Ho (0.16), Lu (0.066), and Tm (0.063). Multivariate analysis of REE profiles from 92 coffee samples collected in Serbia revealed clear distinctions between ground roasted and instant coffees, as well as between different surrogate blends. This study indicated that the determination of coffee's geographical origin was not possible due to the diverse types, blends, and additives. However, differences in REE profiles suggest potential classification based on variety. REEs pose a negligible health risk to coffee consumers, with HI values ranging from 4.7 × 10-8 to 6.3 × 10-6 and TCR ranging from 2.6 × 10-14 to 3.5 × 10-12.

Integrating different detection techniques and data analysis methods for comprehensive food authenticity verification

Traditional food testing methods, primarily confined to laboratory settings, are increasingly inadequate to detect covert food adulteration techniques. Hence, a crucial review of recent technological strides to combat food fraud is essential. This comprehensive analysis explores state-of-the-art technologies in food analysis, accentuating the pivotal role of sophisticated data processing methods and the amalgamation of diverse technologies in enhancing food authenticity testing. The paper assesses the merits and drawbacks of distinct data processing techniques and explores their potential synergies. The future of food authentication hinges on the integration of portable smart detection devices with mobile applications for real-time food analysis, including miniaturized spectrometers and portable sensors. This integration, coupled with advanced machine learning and deep learning for robust model construction, promises to achieve real-time, on-site food detection. Moreover, effective data processing, encompassing preprocessing, chemometrics, and regression analysis, remains indispensable for precise food authentication.

Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Performance for the Measurement of Key Serum Minerals: A Comparative Study With Standard Quantification Methods

BACKGROUND

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is widely used for the accurate measurement of minerals. However, its application to serum essential mineral measurement has not been fully evaluated. The present study aimed to assess the performance of ICP-MS for serum minerals by comparing its measurements to those obtained using standard quantification methods.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data were collected from 282 participants from a single facility in Japan. Serum concentrations of eight key minerals, namely sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper, measured via ICP-MS and standard methods were compared using Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

All minerals, except phosphorus, exhibited good agreement with standard methods, with more stable regression coefficients observed for minerals with greater interindividual variability. After systematically filtering outliers, the mean relative errors were approximately -3% for sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium; +5% for iron; 0% for zinc; and -19% for copper. The outliers for iron were primarily due to mild hemolysis, whereas those for zinc were largely attributed to nonhemolysis factors. For phosphorus, the serum total phosphorus concentration measured using ICP-MS was approximately 3.5 times higher than the serum inorganic phosphorus concentration measured using standard methods, with a weak correlation observed between the two methods.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a practical foundation for future research. Understanding ICP-MS characteristics will facilitate the development of new approaches in clinical diagnostics.

Multi-Elemental Analysis and Geographical Discrimination of Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" Beans Utilizing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Machine Learning Models

Greek giant beans, also known as "Gigantes Elefantes" (elephant beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L.,) are a traditional and highly cherished culinary delight in Greek cuisine, contributing significantly to the economic prosperity of local producers. However, the issue of food fraud associated with these products poses substantial risks to both consumer safety and economic stability. In the present study, multi-elemental analysis combined with decision tree learning algorithms were investigated for their potential to determine the multi-elemental profile and discriminate the origin of beans collected from the two geographical areas. Ensuring the authenticity of agricultural products is increasingly crucial in the global food industry, particularly in the fight against food fraud, which poses significant risks to consumer safety and economic stability. To ascertain this, an extensive multi-elemental analysis (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, Se, Sr, Ta, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr) was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Bean samples originating from Kastoria and Prespes (products with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status) were studied, focusing on the determination of elemental profiles or fingerprints, which are directly related to the geographical origin of the growing area. In this study, we employed a decision tree algorithm to classify Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" beans based on their multi-elemental composition, achieving high performance metrics, including an accuracy of 92.86%, sensitivity of 87.50%, and specificity of 96.88%. These results demonstrate the model's effectiveness in accurately distinguishing beans from different geographical regions based on their elemental profiles. The trained model accomplished the discrimination of Greek "Gigantes Elefantes" beans from Kastoria and Prespes, with remarkable accuracy, based on their multi-elemental composition.

Tracking the Mandorla di Avola Almond Variety by Means of ICP Analysis

The Mandorla di Avola is recognized all over the world as one of the best almond varieties. It is cultivated in a small area inside the provinces of Siracusa and Ragusa (Sicily, southern Italy). It is used in traditional Sicilian cuisine for both salty and sweet foods and of course in artisan pastry, apart from being consumed as a fruit. Due to its extraordinary organoleptic and beneficial features, the Mandorla di Avola is frequently counterfeit with almond varieties of lower quality coming from other countries. While its nutraceutical features have been studied, the possibility of authenticating it with respect to other varieties has not been explored. In this work, we used microelements determined with ICP-OES and ICP-MS as chemical descriptors to distinguish samples of Mandorla di Avola almonds from almonds coming from California and Spain, which are usually employed as substitutes in pastry. Among the different elements determined, Mn and P were found to be the best descriptors for authentication.

Definition, detection, and tracking of nanowaste in foods: Challenges and perspectives

Commercial applications of nanotechnology in the food industry are rapidly increasing. Accordingly, there is a simultaneous increase in the amount and diversity of nanowaste, which arise as byproducts in the production, use, disposal, or recycling processes of nanomaterials utilized in the food industry. The potential risks of this nanowaste to human health and the environment are alarming. It is of crucial significance to establish analytical methods and monitoring systems for nanowaste to ensure food safety. This review provides comprehensive information on nanowaste in foods as well as comparative material on existing and new analytical methods for the detection of nanowaste. The article is specifically focused on nanowaste in food systems. Moreover, the current techniques, challenges as well as potential use of new and progressive methods are underlined, further highlighting advances in technology, collaborative efforts, as well as future perspectives for effective nanowaste detection and tracking. Such detection and tracking of nanowaste are required in order to effectively manage this type ofwasted in foods. Although there are devices that utilize spectroscopy, spectrometry, microscopy/imaging, chromatography, separation/fractionation, light scattering, diffraction, optical, adsorption, diffusion, and centrifugation methods for this purpose, there are challenges to be overcome in relation to nanowaste as well as food matrix and method characteristics. New technologies such as radio-frequency identification, Internet of things, blockchain, data analytics, and machine learning are promising. However, the cooperation of international organizations, food sector, research, and political organizations is needed for effectively managing nanowaste. Future research efforts should be focused on addressing knowledge gaps and potential strategies for optimizing nanowaste detection and tracking processes.

Botanical origin and elemental content of Turkish honey: Implications for health risks from essential and non-essential elements

Honey, which is popular for its taste and health benefits, can pose health risks due to excessive levels of essential and non-essential elements. Turkey's unique geographical location and biodiversity have made it a major player in the global honey industry. This study analysed Turkish honey samples to determine their botanical origin and elemental content, and to assess non-carcinogenic risks associated with their consumption. Twelve samples were classified as monofloral, while the rest were considered multifloral. The results showed that the levels of elements in the honey samples varied significantly depending on the plant source and geographical location (p < 0.05). However, the health risk assessment for both adults and children indicated that the levels of these elements do not pose a health risk. Principal component -analysis has revealed a correlation among the elements present in honey samples. Overall, the risk of exposure to toxic elements in honey is low unless consumed excessively.

Quality characteristics and sensory evaluation of protein-rich baked snacks for adults with chronic kidney disease: a proof of concept study

BACKGROUND

Adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have different protein requirements than the general population. Limited protein-rich baked snack options are available for CKD adults. The purpose of this proof of concept study was to develop two protein-rich baked snacks made with whey protein isolate and soy protein isolate and to evaluate their quality characteristics and sensory perceptions for adults with CKD.

METHODS

A control formulation was obtained from the American Association of Cereal Chemists to develop three formulations-dried milk (control), whey protein isolate and soy protein isolate at an unbaked weight of 30 g. Product quality characteristics included moisture content, water activity, shape and size, and texture profile. For the sensory perception, healthy adults (n = 101) and adults with CKD (n = 57) completed a 9-point hedonic scale for appearance, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability.

RESULTS

Protein content for the whey protein isolate and soy protein isolate reached 20% total weight. Despite containing similar moisture, both formulations were harder than the control (p < 0.001). Healthy participants preferred the whey protein isolate-based snack over the soy protein isolate-based snack for all attributes (p < 0.05). Differences in the same attributes were not perceived among CKD participants (p > 0.05). Open-ended responses from both healthy and CKD participants indicated that the soy protein isolate formulation was softer and sweeter compared to the whey protein isolate formulation.

CONCLUSION

Overall, adults with CKD preferred both the whey protein isolate-and soy protein isolate-formulated snacks. These protein-rich baked snacks can be further modified to serve as an alternative snack choice for adults with CKD and used in future clinical trials.

Recent Advances in the Detection of Food Toxins Using Mass Spectrometry

Edibles are the only source of nutrients and energy for humans. However, ingredients of edibles have undergone many physicochemical changes during preparation and storage. Aging, hydrolysis, oxidation, and rancidity are some of the major changes that not only change the native flavor, texture, and taste of food but also destroy the nutritive value and jeopardize public health. The major reasons for the production of harmful metabolites, chemicals, and toxins are poor processing, inappropriate storage, and microbial spoilage, which are lethal to consumers. In addition, the emergence of new pollutants has intensified the need for advanced and rapid food analysis techniques to detect such toxins. The issue with the detection of toxins in food samples is the nonvolatile nature and absence of detectable chromophores; hence, normal conventional techniques need additional derivatization. Mass spectrometry (MS) offers high sensitivity, selectivity, and capability to handle complex mixtures, making it an ideal analytical technique for the identification and quantification of food toxins. Recent technological advancements, such as high-resolution MS and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), have significantly improved sensitivity, enabling the detection of food toxins at ultralow levels. Moreover, the emergence of ambient ionization techniques has facilitated rapid in situ analysis of samples with lower time and resources. Despite numerous advantages, the widespread adoption of MS in routine food safety monitoring faces certain challenges such as instrument cost, complexity, data analysis, and standardization of methods. Nevertheless, the continuous advancements in MS-technology and its integration with complementary techniques hold promising prospects for revolutionizing food safety monitoring. This review discusses the application of MS in detecting various food toxins including mycotoxins, marine biotoxins, and plant-derived toxins. It also explores the implementation of untargeted approaches, such as metabolomics and proteomics, for the discovery of novel and emerging food toxins, enhancing our understanding of potential hazards in the food supply chain.

The Development of Novel Functional Corn Flakes Produced from Different Types of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Cereal products, such as flakes and snack items, are frequently consumed as part of everyday diets, encompassing ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, flakes, and snacks. The utilization of extrusion technology is crucial in the manufacturing process of cereal-based flakes or snack products. When it comes to cereal-based flakes or snacks, different types of corn, such as white corn, yellow corn, red corn, and black corn, have garnered attention from scientists, consumers, and experts in the food industry. This paper investigates the simultaneous effects of different types of corn (white corn, yellow corn, red corn, and black corn) addition and different screw speeds (350, 500, 650 rpm) on the physical, technological, and functional properties of flake products. An increasing screw speed had a positive influence on the physical and technological characteristics of corn flakes, while different types of corn had a positive influence on the mineral composition and antioxidant properties. Black corn flour and a screw speed of 350 rpm positively influenced the physical and technological characteristics, mineral composition, and antioxidant properties of flake products, with a best total Z-score analysis of 0.59. Overall, the combination of Tukey's HSD test and PCA enabled a comprehensive analysis of the observed corn products and allowed us to identify satiating and significant differences between attributes and create a classification of the samples based on those differences. Corn flakes from black corn flour on a screw speed of 350 rpm is a new product with good physical-technological and functional properties due to a higher level of antioxidant activity. The last three samples have a significantly higher percentage of free radical inhibition compared with the other samples according to TPC and TFC. This product has the potential to be found on the market as a new product with functional properties.

Multi-Element Profile Characterization of Monofloral and Polyfloral Honey from Latvia

Honey is of scientific interest mainly due to its health-promoting and antibacterial properties, which are also associated with its floral origins. However, the methods for confirming honey floral origins are quite limited and require improvements. One method suggested in the search for a multi-method approach to evaluating the floral origins of Latvian honey is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This study investigated the multi-element profile of 83 honey samples of well-specified floral origins. The main findings included using Ba, Ca, Cs, Fe, and Rb as indicator elements for heather honey. The chemometric evaluation supported the use of ICP-MS for distinguishing heather honey from other types of honey. The Latvian polyfloral honey multi-element profile was defined and compared to honey samples with other geographical origins. Additionally, the multi-element profiles of buckwheat, clover, and polyfloral honey proteins were investigated to clarify whether the majority of elements were bound with proteins or not. Preliminary results indicated that Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Sr were mainly found in non-protein-bound forms, while the majority of Al, Cu, Ni, and Zn were in the form of large chemical structures (>10 kDa).

Coral fossil: A potential adsorbent of natural source for cadmium removal in broilers

Cadmium (Cd) is a pollutant that poses a health risk for humans and animals. Coral fossil (CF) acts as an adsorbent, yet limited knowledge is available on impacts of CF on Cd toxicities. The work was performed to figure out the effects of CF on hematobiochemical details and specific organs in Cd exposed broilers. The experiment was carried out with 45 broilers and were divided into three groups (15 in each). Group A was served as control. The birds in group B received Cd (75 mg /kg b. w.) orally. Whereas group C was orally supplemented with Cd (75 mg /kg b. w.) and CF (1 gm/kg b. w.). The trial was lasted for 30 days. For hematobiochemical analysis, blood samples were drawn, and sera were separated. Liver, kidney and muscle were collected to assess accumulation concentration. Brain, liver and kidney samples were also collected for histopathological study. The results showed that hematological parameters (TEC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, MCHC and DLC) were altered by Cd but restored with CF supplementation. Liver (AST, ALT and ALP) and kidney (total protein and creatinine) biomarkers were increased significantly in Cd treated broilers while decreased significantly after CF supplementation. CF reduced accumulation concentration of Cd in liver, kidney and muscle. Cd intoxicated broilers showed degenerative changes in brain, hyperplastic bile duct and proliferation of renal tubular epithelium with focal degeneration and necrosis; and these were improved after CF supplementation. Therefore, it can be concluded that CF is a potential adsorbent against Cd toxicities.

Correlations Among Maternal and Infant Factors, Lead Exposure, and Serum Prolactin Levels During Lactation: A Cross-sectional Study in Indonesia

OBJECTIVES

Prolactin is vital for breastfeeding and milk production, and its secretion is influenced by factors related to the mother, infant, and environment. To date, no study has concurrently investigated the correlation of these factors with serum prolactin levels during lactation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the correlations among maternal and infant factors, lead exposure, and serum prolactin levels during lactation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional approach was employed in Surabaya, Indonesia, among 110 exclusively lactating mothers. The mothers' daily diets were determined using multiple 24-hour recalls, while blood lead levels were measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Serum prolactin levels were assessed using the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. For bivariate analysis, we employed the Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis tests, while for multivariate analysis, we utilized multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

The average serum prolactin level of the lactating mothers was 129.19±88.96 ng/mL. Positive correlations were found between serum prolactin levels and breastfeeding frequency (p < 0.001), protein intake (p < 0.001), and calcium intake (p = 0.011) but had negative correlation with blood lead levels (p < 0.001) and vitamin B6 intake (p = 0.003). Additionally, prolactin levels were not significantly associated with maternal age; parity; intake of calories, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, folic acid, magnesium, or iron; infant age; or infant sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Breastfeeding frequency had a stronger positive relationship with serum prolactin levels than protein and calcium intake. However, lead exposure was associated with reduced serum prolactin levels during lactation. Consequently, specific interventions from policymakers are necessary to manage breastfeeding in mothers exposed to lead.

Preliminary Study of Pepper Types Based on Multielement Content Combined with Chemometrics

Different types of pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) are widely used spices that exhibit therapeutic properties in addition to nutritional properties. In order to characterize these foods in further detail, the content of macro- (Ca, K, Mg, Na) and microelements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Te, Tl, V and Zn) of four pepper types was determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave-assisted digestion using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The obtained results were then evaluated using chemometric methods. The content of macroelements and microelements lies in the expected ranges for such spices but differs significantly between different types. The content of macro- and microelements is characteristic for pepper types originating from different plant species, but also based on further processing. Whilst green and black pepper are similar to each other, clearly diverse patterns are obtained for white pepper (different processing method) and cayenne pepper (different plant species).

Measuring trace element fingerprinting for cereal bar authentication based on type and principal ingredient

This paper introduces a method for determining the authenticity of commercial cereal bars based on trace element fingerprints. In this regard, 120 cereal bars were prepared using microwave-assisted acid digestion and the concentrations of Al, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sn, Sr, V, and Zn were later measured by ICP-MS. Results confirmed the suitability of the analyzed samples for human consumption. Multielemental data underwent autoscaling preprocessing for then applying PCA, CART, and LDA to input data set. LDA model accomplished the highest classification modeling performance with a success rate of 92%, making it the suitable model for reliable cereal bar prediction. The proposed method demonstrates the potential of trace element fingerprints in distinguishing cereal bar samples according to their type (conventional and gluten-free) and principal ingredient (fruit, yogurt, chocolate), thereby contributing to global efforts for food authentication.

Towards a Standardized Approach for the Geographical Traceability of Plant Foods Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

This paper presents a systematic literature review focused on the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) combined with PCA, a multivariate technique, for determining the geographical origin of plant foods. Recent studies selected and applied the ICP-MS analytical method and PCA in plant food geographical traceability. The collected results from many previous studies indicate that ICP-MS with PCA is a useful tool and is widely used for authenticating and certifying the geographic origin of plant food. The review encourages scientists and managers to discuss the possibility of introducing an international standard for plant food traceability using ICP-MS combined with PCA. The use of a standard method will reduce the time and cost of analysis and improve the efficiency of trade and circulation of goods. Furthermore, the main steps needed to establish the standard for this traceability method are reported, including the development of guidelines and quality control measures, which play a pivotal role in providing authentic product information through each stage of production, processing, and distribution for consumers and authority agencies. This might be the basis for establishing the standards for examination and controlling the quality of foods in the markets, ensuring safety for consumers.

On the Traceability of Honey by Means of Lanthanide Distribution

Honey is a natural food appreciated all over the world since antiquity due to its well-recognised beneficial properties. However, it is also considered among the most counterfeited foods. Therefore, analytical methods are currently being developed to allow the verifying of its geographic provenance and its botanical origin. Trace- and ultra-trace elements are usually exploited as chemical descriptors in authentication studies, as they allow the properties declared in the label to be verified. A different matter is to trace a food by means of traceability, that is, to find the link between a food and the soil in which this food originates. For traceability, it has been demonstrated in several studies that the lanthanides are particularly useful to find this link. In the present study, the traceability of the honey chain has been studied by means of ICP-MS and ICP-OES analysis, by comparing the lanthanide distributions of 17 different monofloral honey chains, each one composed of honey, flowers and soil in which such flowers grew. The results show that, while the fingerprint of soil, described by the lanthanide distribution, is transmitted unaltered from soil to flowers, a slight fractionation on the heavier lanthanides (from Dy to Lu) occurs in the passage from flowers to honey.