47
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
G. Sindona et al. (eds.), Toxic Chemical and Biological Agents, NATO Science
for Peace and Security Series A: Chemistry and Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2041-8_3
Chapter 3
Mass Spectrometry Methods for Food
Safety/Detection of Toxins in Food
Gianluca Giorgi
Abstract In this chapter, a brief overview of fundamentals in mass spectrometry
(MS) and on methods for food safety and detection of toxins in food is described. It
is focused on ionization techniques, analyzers, high resolution MS, tandem MS and
on different methodologies and approaches that modern mass spectrometry offers in
this field.
3.1 Mass Spectrometry: An Overview
Mass spectrometry (MS) is an important and very powerful methodology for structurally characterizing, identifying, and for quantifying wide classes of unknowns,
ranging from apolar low molecular weight (MW) analytes to polar big molecules
with MW of millions of Daltons [1–3].
MS finds applications in many fields, such as food, biomedicine, environment,
archaeology, forensics, omics sciences, etc. Its most important features are high
specificity and selectivity, high sensitivity and high speed. Its coupling with separative techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC), lets possible to carry out analysis of very complex mixtures with high sensitivity and specificity. The scheme of a mass spectrometer is
reported in Fig. 3.1.
Mass spectrometry studies ions in the gas phase. As we are generally dealing
with molecules, the first event which must occur in a mass spectrometer, and in
particular in the ion source, is the ionization, i.e. transformation of a molecule into
an ion. Once formed, ions are driven towards the analyzer, which separates them
according to their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios, and finally to the detector.
G. Giorgi (*)
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry & Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
e-mail: gianluca.giorgi@unisi.it
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
G. Sindona et al. (eds.), Toxic Chemical and Biological Agents, NATO Science
for Peace and Security Series A: Chemistry and Biology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2041-8_3
Chapter 3
Mass Spectrometry Methods for Food
Safety/Detection of Toxins in Food
Gianluca Giorgi
Abstract In this chapter, a brief overview of fundamentals in mass spectrometry
(MS) and on methods for food safety and detection of toxins in food is described. It
is focused on ionization techniques, analyzers, high resolution MS, tandem MS and
on different methodologies and approaches that modern mass spectrometry offers in
this field.
3.1 Mass Spectrometry: An Overview
Mass spectrometry (MS) is an important and very powerful methodology for structurally characterizing, identifying, and for quantifying wide classes of unknowns,
ranging from apolar low molecular weight (MW) analytes to polar big molecules
with MW of millions of Daltons [1–3].
MS finds applications in many fields, such as food, biomedicine, environment,
archaeology, forensics, omics sciences, etc. Its most important features are high
specificity and selectivity, high sensitivity and high speed. Its coupling with separative techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC), lets possible to carry out analysis of very complex mixtures with high sensitivity and specificity. The scheme of a mass spectrometer is
reported in Fig. 3.1.
Mass spectrometry studies ions in the gas phase. As we are generally dealing
with molecules, the first event which must occur in a mass spectrometer, and in
particular in the ion source, is the ionization, i.e. transformation of a molecule into
an ion. Once formed, ions are driven towards the analyzer, which separates them
according to their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios, and finally to the detector.
G. Giorgi (*)
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry & Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
e-mail: gianluca.giorgi@unisi.it