Analysis of Food Contaminants, Residues, and Chemical Constituents of Concern

Consumer concerns and government regulations focused on the safety of foods dictate the need for analysis of various food contaminants, residues, and chemical constituents of concern. These compounds include pesticide residues, mycotoxins, antibiotic residues, GMOs, allergens, food adulterants, packaging material hazardous chemicals, environmental contaminants, naturally occurring substances formed during processing, among others. This chapter covers the screening methods and quantitative methods that are commonly used for the detection and quantification of several food hazards, in addition to some recently developed methods for the detection of newly identified and emerging food hazards. Included are both rapid screening methods and more time-consuming quantitative methods required to meet the needs of industry and government, in an effort to ensure a safe and reliable food supply. Sampling and sample preparation are covered because they can be a significant challenge due to the low levels of the analytes and the complexity of food matrices. Methods referred to in this chapter include many techniques covered in other chapters (e.g., high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, immunoassays, enzyme inhibitor assays), and others not previously covered (DNA methods using polymerase chain reaction, certain colorimetric assays). This chapter is intended to compliment Chap. 35 on food forensic investigations.