ARS | Publication request: Mass spectrometry and hyphenated instruments in food analysis

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2007
Publication Date: February 1, 2008
Citation: Cajka, T., Hajslova, J., Mastovska, K. 2008. Mass spectrometry and hyphenated instruments in food analysis. In: Otles, S., editor. CRC Press. p. 119-144.

Technical Abstract: Mass spectrometry (MS) has come a long way since the record of the first mass spectra of a simple low molecular weight substance by J.J. Thomson in 1912. Especially over the past decades, MS has been the subject of many developments. Particularly, the hyphenation of MS to gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) and also the development of novel ionization techniques caused extensive spreading of MS to food analysis. Also, the introduction of relatively inexpensive quadrupole and ion trap mass analysers and, at the end of the last century, the rediscovery of time-of-flight mass analysers allowed the use of this sophisticated instrumental technique in both research as well as routine applications. This chapter provides basic information of crucial components of various MS instrumentation, including description of various ion sources, mass analyzers, and detectors. It also introduces up-to-date trends and advancements in this rapidly developing area and discusses most significant applications of MS and hyphenated techniques in food analysis.