Different Types of Food Safety Analysis

Scientific techniques are used in food safety analysis to assess the product's safety for eating.

Fremont, CA: The majority of the food we eat comes from grocery shops or restaurants, which obtain their ingredients and food from farms and food processing facilities. These factories generate enormous amounts of food, and if their crops or manufacturing processes are unsafely contaminated, it could result in many people getting hurt or ill. Scientific techniques are used in food safety analysis to assess the product's safety for eating.

Food safety analysis gets divided into three categories: microbiological, chemical, and physical testing.

Microbiological

Researchers test and examine food in the microbiological food safety analysis to find potentially hazardous microorganisms. Sensitive food analysis is necessary to maintain food safety because most microbiological contaminants and foodborne diseases are virtually undetectable on food.

Chemical

Food may come into contact with many chemicals throughout the growing, harvesting, or packing processes that could be dangerous to consume. Chemical food analysis is vital because cleaning agents, byproducts, and pesticides include chemicals that are unsafe to consume but necessary for food processing.

Physical

The final step in the food safety analysis is to check the food items for any physical contamination. Physical X-rays, metal detectors, and sifters ensure that no physically contaminated food may reach grocery stores. However, sharp objects, raw materials, or even animal contaminants like vermin can make their way into food.

Methods of Food Safety Analysis

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are two of the most popular techniques for analyzing food safety (NMR).

Liquid chromatography with high performance (HPLC)

Chemical researchers and food labs frequently use the HPLC method to identify any additions and impurities in a sample. Liquid chromatography equipment is essentially used in food safety analysis labs to inject a liquid sample into a solvent flowing through a column packed with a separation medium.

To separate the sample components for detection, analysis, and qualification, the sample purposely passes through the separation medium and column. Using this technique, food laboratories can determine if pesticides and other chemical pollutants are present in the sample.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

NMR is yet another common technique for analyzing food safety. NMR uses the magnetic characteristics of atomic nuclei to identify molecules and components in a sample. The atomic nuclei of a sample get investigated using NMR to determine how they absorb and release electromagnetic radiation at specific frequencies. Scientists can use these frequencies to identify compounds, infer the environmental influences on surrounding electrons, and more.