Evaluation of ED-XRF for the detection of inorganic adulterants in turmeric, paprika and oregano.

Herbs and spices are known to be prone to food fraud and accurate analytical tools are needed to detect adulterants. Amongst the potential adulteration, dilution with bulking agents has regularly been reported, especially with inorganic materials such as talc or brick powder. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometry is a well-established non-destructive analytical technique for qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of a wide variety of samples.

A nutritional supplement containing zinc during preconception and pregnancy increases human milk zinc concentrations.

Introduction: During pregnancy and lactation minerals such as zinc are required to support maternal and infant health. Zinc is involved in various cellular processes, with requirements increasing in pregnancy and lactation. In the setting of a randomized trial, we investigated the effects on human milk (HM) zinc concentrations of a micronutrient-containing supplement including zinc in the intervention (but not control) group, started preconception and taken throughout pregnancy until birth.

Mode of Neonatal Delivery Influences the Nutrient Composition of Human Milk: Results From a Multicenter European Cohort of Lactating Women.

Background: The effect of the mode of neonatal delivery (cesarean or vaginal) on the nutrient composition of human milk (HM) has rarely been studied. Given the increasing prevalence of cesarean section (C-section) globally, understanding the impact of C-section vs. vaginal delivery on the nutrient composition of HM is fundamental when HM is the preferred source of infant food during the first 4 postnatal months.

Detection and characterization of small-sized microplastics (≥ 5 µm) in milk products.

Microplastics (MPs) have gained a high degree of public interest since they are associated with the global release of plastics into the environment. Various studies have confirmed the presence of MPs throughout the food chain. However, information on the ingestion of MPs via the consumption of many commonly consumed foods like dairy products are scarce due to the lack of studies investigating the "contamination" of this food group by MPs.

Vitamin B12 quantification in human milk - Beyond current limitations using liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma - Mass spectrometry.

Vitamin B12 plays a key role in human biological functions and is vital in the neurological development of infants. The assessment of the vitamin B12 intake in exclusively breastfed babies depends on the reliability of its determination in milk. In this report, we present a new accurate and robust method for quantification of vitamin B12 in human milk.

Impact of Ascorbic Acid on the In Vitro Iron Bioavailability of a Casein-Based Iron Fortificant.

A new iron-casein complex (ICC) has been developed for iron (Fe) fortification of dairy matrices. The objective was to assess the impact of ascorbic acid (AA) on its in vitro bioavailability in comparison with ferrous sulfate (FeSO) and ferric pyrophosphate (FePP). A simulated digestion coupled with the Caco-2 cell culture model was used in parallel with solubility and dissociation tests.

Subclinical Mastitis in a European Multicenter Cohort: Prevalence, Impact on Human Milk (HM) Composition, and Association with Infant HM Intake and Growth.

Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is an inflammatory condition of the mammary gland. We examined the effects of SCM on human milk (HM) composition, infant growth, and HM intake in a mother-infant cohort from seven European countries. HM samples were obtained from 305 mothers at 2, 17, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days postpartum.

Longitudinal Changes of Mineral Concentrations in Preterm and Term Human Milk from Lactating Swiss Women.

An adequate mineral supply to preterm infants is essential for normal growth and development. This study aimed to compare the mineral contents of human milk (HM) from healthy mothers of preterm (28-32 weeks) and full term (>37 weeks) infants. Samples were collected weekly for eight weeks for the term group ( = 34) and, biweekly up to 16 weeks for the preterm group ( = 27).

The bioavailability of iron picolinate is comparable to iron sulfate when fortified into a complementary fruit yogurt: a stable iron isotope study in young women.

Purpose: A technological gap exists for the iron (Fe) fortification of difficult-to-fortify products, such as wet and acid food products containing polyphenols, with stable and bioavailable Fe. Fe picolinate, a novel food ingredient, was found to be stable over time in this type of matrix. The objective of this study was to measure the Fe bioavailability of Fe picolinate in a complementary fruit yogurt.

Validation of a dilute and shoot method for quantification of 12 elements by inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry in human milk and in cow milk preparations.

Nutritional information about human milk is essential as early human growth and development have been closely linked to the status and requirements of several macro- and micro-elements. However, methods addressing whole mineral profiling in human milk have been scarce due in part to their technical complexities to accurately and simultaneously measure the concentration of micro- and macro-trace elements in low volume of human milk. In the present study, a single laboratory validation has been performed using a "dilute and shoot" approach for the quantification of sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo) and iodine (I), in both human milk and milk preparations.

Simultaneous Determination of 10 Ultratrace Elements in Infant Formula, Adult Nutritionals, and Milk Products by ICP/MS After Pressure Digestion: Single-Laboratory Validation.

A single-laboratory validation (SLV) is presented for the simultaneous determination of 10 ultratrace elements (UTEs) including aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), and tin (Sn) in infant formulas, adult nutritionals, and milk based products by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)/MS after acidic pressure digestion. This robust and routine multielemental method is based on several official methods with modifications of sample preparation using either microwave digestion or high pressure ashing and of analytical conditions using ICP/MS with collision cell technology. This SLV fulfills AOAC method performance criteria in terms of linearity, specificity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy and fully answers most international regulation limits for trace contaminants and/or recommended nutrient levels established for 10 UTEs in targeted matrixes.

Comparative study of the mesostructure of natural and synthetic polyisoprene by size exclusion chromatography-multi-angle light scattering and asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation-multi-angle light scattering.

This paper presents results from the first analyses of the mesostructure of natural rubber (NR) by asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF4). The results are compared with those obtained by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) in terms of average molar masses, radius of gyration and insoluble part (or gel quantity). Comparable results were obtained for the sample not containing gel.

Characterization of oxidized tannins: comparison of depolymerization methods, asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation and small-angle X-ray scattering.

Condensed tannins are a major class of plant polyphenols. They play an important part in the colour and taste of foods and beverages. Due to their chemical reactivity, tannins are not stable once extracted from plants.

Single walled carbon nanotube length determination by asymmetrical-flow field-flow fractionation hyphenated to multi-angle laser-light scattering.

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AFlFFF) hyphenated to multi-angle laser-light scattering (MALS) was evaluated in order to determine single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) length distribution. Fractionation conditions were investigated by examining mobile phase ionic strength and pH, channel components and cross-flow rate. Ammonium nitrate-based mobile phase with 10(-5)molL(-1) ionic strength and pH 6 allows the highest sample recovery (89±3%) to be obtained and the lowest loss of the longest SWCNT.

Colloidal organic matter from wastewater treatment plant effluents: Characterization and role in metal distribution.

Colloidal organic matter from wastewater treatment plants was characterized and examined with respect to its role in metal distribution by using tangential flow ultrafiltration, liquid chromatography coupled with organic carbon and UV detectors, and an asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AFlFFF) multidetection platform. Results revealed that a humic-like fraction of low aromaticity with an average molar mass ranging from 1600 to 2600Da was the main colloidal component. High molar mass fractions (HMM), with molar mass ranges between 20 and 200kDa, were present in lower proportions.

Colloidal transport of uranium in soil: Size fractionation and characterization by field-flow fractionation-multi-detection.

The aim of this study was to characterize colloids associated with uranium by using an on-line fractionation/multi-detection technique based on asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (As-Fl-FFF) hyphenated with UV detector, multi angle laser light scattering (MALLS) and inductively coupling plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Moreover, thanks to the As-Fl-FFF, the different colloidal fractions were collected and characterized by a total organic carbon analyzer (TOC). Thus it is possible to determine the nature (organic or inorganic colloids), molar mass, size (gyration and hydrodynamic radii) and quantitative uranium distribution over the whole colloidal phase.

On-line and off-line quantification of trace elements associated to colloids by As-Fl-FFF and ICP-MS.

A quantification procedure of trace elements during colloid size fractionation was developed and validated. This procedure is based on the hyphenation between Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (As-Fl-FFF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The optimisation of the procedure was performed on a soil leachate spiked with six trace elements selected for their environmental and health impact (As, Cd, Sb, Se, Sn and Pb).

Optimisation of asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation for environmental nanoparticles separation.

The fractionation of natural nanoparticles by Asymmetrical Flow Field Flow Fractionation (As-Fl-FFF) was optimised by considering the following operating conditions: ionic strength, surfactant concentration and crossflow rate. The method performances such as fractionation recovery and fractionation efficiency were evaluated on a stable solution of colloidal-size natural inorganic particles. The online multi-detection by ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometer (UV) and multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) provided the monitoring of the sample during the separation and the evaluation of the fractionation efficiency.

Evaluation of a combined fractionation and speciation approach for study of size-based distribution of organotin species on environmental colloids.

Results relating to the first original application of an analytical approach combining asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (As-Fl-FFF) with multi-detection and chemical speciation for determination of organotins in a landfill leachate sample are presented. The speciation analysis involved off-line head-space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME)-gas chromatography with pulsed-flame photometric detection (GC-PFPD) performed after three consecutive collections of five different fractions of interest from the As-Fl-FFF system and cross-flow part (assumed to be representative of the <10 kDa phase). After 0.

Matrix-matched quantitative analysis of trace-elements in calcium carbonate shells by laser-ablation ICP-MS: application to the determination of daily scale profiles in scallop shell (Pecten maximus).

A micro-scale method has been developed for analysis of trace-element concentration profiles in the calcium carbonate shell of the Great Scallop (Pecten maximus). UV laser ablation at 266-nm coupled with ICP-MS detection was used to analyse daily calcite striae of shell samples to obtain high temporal resolution of trace element incorporation. Analysis of scallop shells was carefully examined to determine the quality of calcium carbonate ablation and calibration.