Nutritional Content
Quantification of key nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to verify nutritional claims, assess product quality, and support dietary formulation standards.
Separation of Sugars in Honey
Overview
Honey is a natural sweetener primarily composed of carbohydrates, with fructose and glucose making up nearly 70–80% of its content, along with smaller amounts of sucrose, maltose, and other oligosaccharides. The sugar composition of honey directly influences its taste, crystallization behavior, energy value, and botanical origin. Quantifying individual sugars is essential for verifying purity, detecting adulteration (e.g., with high-fructose corn syrup), and ensuring compliance with food quality and labeling standards such as Codex Alimentarius and ISO 11085. Detailed sugar profiling also aids in authenticity studies and supports nutritional and functional food research.
Test Methods
Solutions
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Refractive Index Detection (HPLC-RI) is the preferred method for separating and quantifying sugars in honey without derivatization. The sample is typically diluted with water, filtered, and injected into the HPLC system equipped with a carbohydrate or amino-bonded column. Using an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile–water or deionized water, the system separates monosaccharides and disaccharides based on polarity and molecular interaction. The RI detector measures differences in refractive index, providing sensitive detection for non-UV-absorbing sugars. Calibration with certified sugar standards (fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose) ensures accurate quantification. This method offers high precision, reproducibility, and reliability for evaluating the nutritional sugar composition and authenticity of honey and other carbohydrate-rich foods.
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Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose and Maltose in Presweetened Cereals
Overview
Presweetened cereals contain a variety of simple carbohydrates that contribute to sweetness, texture, and energy value. The primary sugars—glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose—are key nutritional components, and their ratios can indicate formulation consistency and help detect adulteration or production variability. Quantifying these sugars supports nutritional labeling accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards. Detailed sugar profiling also provides insight into carbohydrate metabolism, consumer health considerations, and product development for reduced-sugar or functional cereal formulations.
Test Methods
Solutions
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Refractive Index Detection (HPLC-RI) is a reliable method for separating and quantifying major sugars in presweetened cereals. After extraction with water or aqueous ethanol and filtration, the sample is injected into an HPLC system equipped with a carbohydrate or amino-bonded column. Isocratic elution using a mobile phase such as acetonitrile–water (75:25) enables efficient separation of monosaccharides and disaccharides based on polarity and size. The RI detector responds universally to compounds with refractive index differences, making it ideal for non-UV-absorbing analytes like sugars. Calibration with certified sugar standards ensures quantitative accuracy and reproducibility. This method provides precise, repeatable results suitable for nutritional labeling, quality control, and formulation optimization in the cereal and broader food industries.
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Carbohydrates in soluble (instant) coffee
Overview
Soluble or instant coffee contains a variety of carbohydrate compounds that contribute to its flavor, mouthfeel, and nutritional value. The major sugars include glucose, fructose, sucrose, and low levels of oligosaccharides derived from coffee beans or formed during roasting and extraction. Quantifying these carbohydrates is important for quality control, product formulation, and authentication, as the sugar profile can vary depending on bean origin, processing conditions, and drying method. Accurate carbohydrate analysis also supports nutritional labeling and helps identify adulteration with added sugars or fillers.
Test Methods
AOAC 995.13
Solutions
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Refractive Index Detection (HPLC-RI) provides a sensitive and reproducible technique for the separation and quantification of carbohydrates in soluble coffee. The sample is typically dissolved in deionized water, filtered, and injected into an HPLC system equipped with a carbohydrate analysis column, such as an amino-bonded silica or calcium-loaded cation exchange column. Using an isocratic mobile phase—commonly a mixture of acetonitrile and water (75:25) or pure water at controlled temperature—the system separates individual sugars based on polarity and molecular size. The RI detector measures refractive index changes caused by non-UV-absorbing sugars, allowing accurate quantification. Calibration with standard solutions of known sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose) ensures precision and traceability. This HPLC-RI method is ideal for determining sugar composition, verifying product consistency, and supporting quality assurance in coffee production and research.
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Vitamins (A, C, B, etc.)
Overview
Vitamins are essential micronutrients that play critical roles in metabolism, growth, and overall health. In food and beverage products, vitamins are either naturally present or added through fortification to improve nutritional value. Common water-soluble vitamins (such as B-complex and vitamin C) and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are routinely analyzed to ensure accurate labeling, formulation consistency, and regulatory compliance. Since vitamins are sensitive to light, temperature, and oxidation, precise analytical determination is required to evaluate their concentration and stability throughout processing and storage.
Test Methods
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Solutions
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Ultraviolet Detection (HPLC-UV) is one of the most widely used techniques for the separation and quantification of vitamins in complex food and beverage matrices. The HPLC system employs a reversed-phase C18 column, which efficiently separates vitamins based on polarity and hydrophobicity. Specific mobile phase compositions—commonly aqueous buffers with methanol or acetonitrile—are optimized depending on vitamin solubility. UV detection provides compound-specific absorbance at characteristic wavelengths (e.g., 254 nm for vitamin B2, 265 nm for vitamin C, and 325 nm for vitamin A), enabling selective and sensitive measurement without derivatization. Calibration with certified vitamin standards ensures quantitative accuracy and traceability. This method offers excellent resolution, reproducibility, and linearity, making it ideal for nutritional profiling, quality assurance, and validation of fortified food and beverage products.
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Waters HPLC system with 1525 Binary Pump, 717 Plus Autosampler, 2487 UV/Vis, 474 FLD or 2996 PDA
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Sodium and Potassium in Seafood
Overview
Sodium (Na) and potassium (K) are essential electrolytes that play vital roles in maintaining osmotic balance, nerve transmission, and muscle function. In seafood, these elements naturally occur at varying concentrations depending on the species, habitat salinity, and processing conditions. Monitoring sodium and potassium content is important for nutritional labeling, dietary assessment, and quality control—particularly as consumers seek low-sodium and balanced-mineral diets. Quantifying these minerals also aids in detecting adulteration, verifying product origin, and evaluating the effects of preservation or cooking methods on mineral retention.
Test Methods
AOAC 969.23
Solutions
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) provides a precise and reliable method for determining sodium and potassium concentrations in seafood matrices. Samples are typically digested using acid (e.g., nitric acid or a mixed acid system) to convert minerals into soluble ionic form. Using Flame AAS, the digested sample is aspirated into an air–acetylene flame where the atoms absorb light at element-specific wavelengths—589.0 nm for sodium and 766.5 nm for potassium. The absorbance is directly proportional to concentration and quantified through calibration with certified standard solutions. Background correction and matrix-matched calibration ensure analytical accuracy. Flame AAS offers high sensitivity (down to ppm levels), reproducibility, and minimal interference, making it ideal for routine analysis of major minerals in seafood for nutritional labeling, regulatory compliance, and food quality assurance.
Minerals in Infant Formula / Pet / Other Foods
Overview
Essential minerals such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and selenium (Se) are vital for proper growth, metabolism, and immune function in infants, patients receiving enteral nutrition, and companion animals. In formulated nutritional products, accurate mineral composition is critical to ensure compliance with dietary reference intakes (DRIs), labeling regulations, and product safety standards such as those defined by Codex Alimentarius, AOAC, and AAFCO. Determining mineral content provides insight into ingredient quality, formulation consistency, and nutrient bioavailability—supporting both nutritional adequacy and regulatory certification for human and animal nutrition products.
Test Methods
AOAC 985.35
Solutions
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) is a precise and established method for quantifying macro- and micro-minerals in nutritional formulations. Samples are typically digested with nitric or mixed acids to convert minerals into soluble ionic form, then analyzed by Flame AAS for major elements (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn) or Graphite Furnace AAS (GFAAS) for trace elements (Cu, Mn, Se) requiring higher sensitivity.
Each element is measured at its characteristic wavelength—such as 248.3 nm for Fe, 213.9 nm for Zn, 324.8 nm for Cu, and 285.2 nm for Mg—with absorbance directly proportional to concentration. Calibration with certified multi-element standards ensures traceable accuracy, and matrix-matched calibration compensates for sample complexity. AAS provides reliable quantification at ppm to ppb levels, offering high reproducibility and compliance with AOAC and ISO methodologies. This approach enables laboratories to verify nutritional label claims, monitor ingredient consistency, and ensure product quality and safety in infant formula, enteral nutrition, and pet food manufacturing.
Dietary Fatty Acids, Sterols, Lignans in Oil
Overview
Edible oils are complex mixtures of lipid-derived compounds including fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols, and lignans that determine nutritional value, oxidative stability, and health functionality. Fatty acid composition affects key properties such as melting point, oxidation resistance, and dietary quality, while sterols and lignans contribute antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering effects. Quantifying these compounds is essential for nutritional labeling, authenticity verification, and monitoring oil processing or adulteration. Detailed lipid profiling provides insight into the oil’s botanical origin, refining efficiency, and overall nutritional performance.
Test Methods
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Solutions
Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) is a powerful analytical technique for determining fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), sterols, and lignans in edible oils. For fatty acid analysis, oils are typically transesterified with methanol to form FAMEs, which are separated on a polar capillary column (e.g., cyanopropyl or biscyanopropyl polysiloxane) under temperature programming. The MS detector identifies and quantifies each component based on its unique fragmentation pattern and retention time, ensuring high specificity and sensitivity. For sterol and lignan analysis, saponification followed by solvent extraction and derivatization (e.g., silylation) improves volatility and chromatographic resolution. GC-MS enables simultaneous quantification of multiple lipid classes with detection limits in the low ppm range. This method provides accurate compositional data for quality control, nutritional evaluation, and authenticity verification of edible oils, aligning with AOAC and ISO lipid analysis standards.
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HP 5973 EI/CI MSD G1099A with 6890 Plus GC & CTC Analytics Combi PAL Autosampler
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Derivatization of Corn Oil (nutritional profiling)
Overview
Corn oil is composed primarily of triglycerides containing unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids, along with minor constituents like sterols and tocopherols. Because fatty acids in their native form are nonvolatile and thermally unstable, they require chemical derivatization prior to gas chromatographic analysis. Converting fatty acids to volatile derivatives, most commonly fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), enables accurate determination of fatty acid composition and nutritional value. Quantitative profiling of these components is essential for quality control, authenticity verification, and compliance with labeling standards in edible oil production.
Test Methods
Solutions
Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) is the standard method for analyzing the fatty acid composition of corn oil after derivatization. The process typically involves transesterification—reacting triglycerides with methanol in the presence of an alkaline (e.g., sodium methoxide) or acidic (e.g., boron trifluoride–methanol) catalyst to form FAMEs. The resulting methyl esters are volatile, thermally stable, and suitable for GC separation on a polar capillary column (e.g., cyanopropyl polysiloxane).
The FID provides a linear response to carbon content, allowing accurate quantification of individual fatty acids by comparing peak areas to those of certified standards. Temperature programming ensures efficient separation of C14–C24 fatty acids. This derivatization–GC-FID workflow offers high precision, reproducibility, and sensitivity, making it ideal for characterizing the fatty acid profile of corn oil in accordance with AOAC, AOCS, and ISO analytical standards.
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Cholesterol in Foods
Overview
Cholesterol is a sterol naturally present in animal-derived foods such as meat, dairy, and eggs, and is an important nutritional marker associated with lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health. Monitoring cholesterol content is essential for nutritional labeling, dietary research, and food quality control. Quantifying cholesterol also helps assess the effects of food processing, storage, and reformulation on lipid stability. Because cholesterol is nonvolatile and thermally sensitive, it must be chemically derivatized before gas chromatographic analysis to ensure accurate quantification and reproducible results.
Test Methods
AOAC 994.10
Solutions
Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) is a widely used technique for the determination of cholesterol in foods following extraction and derivatization. The analysis typically begins with saponification of lipids using ethanolic potassium hydroxide to release free sterols, followed by solvent extraction with hexane or petroleum ether. Cholesterol is then derivatized—commonly as a trimethylsilyl ether (TMS) using reagents such as BSTFA or TMCS—to increase volatility and thermal stability.
The derivatized sample is injected into a GC equipped with a non-polar capillary column (e.g., 5% phenyl methylpolysiloxane) operated under temperature programming. The FID provides a linear response to carbon mass, allowing precise quantification based on calibration with certified cholesterol standards. This GC-FID method delivers high sensitivity, accuracy, and reproducibility, supporting nutritional labeling, product authentication, and quality control in compliance with AOAC and ISO lipid analysis protocols.
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Cholesterol in Multicomponent Foods
Overview
Multicomponent foods—such as baked goods, ready-to-eat meals, dairy-based beverages, and processed meats—contain complex matrices composed of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and emulsifiers that can interfere with lipid extraction and cholesterol quantification. Measuring cholesterol in such products is essential for accurate nutritional labeling, product development, and verification of “low-cholesterol” or “cholesterol-free” claims. Determining cholesterol levels also helps assess formulation quality, ingredient authenticity, and the impact of processing steps such as heating or homogenization. Because cholesterol is nonvolatile and sensitive to oxidation, reliable extraction and derivatization are crucial for obtaining reproducible analytical results.
Test Methods
AOAC 976.26
Solutions
Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) provides a sensitive and robust method for quantifying cholesterol in multicomponent food matrices. The analytical process begins with saponification using ethanolic potassium hydroxide (KOH) to hydrolyze lipids and release free sterols, followed by liquid–liquid extraction with nonpolar solvents such as hexane or petroleum ether.
To improve volatility and thermal stability, cholesterol is derivatized to its trimethylsilyl (TMS) ether using reagents such as BSTFA (N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide). The derivatized sample is injected into a GC equipped with a non-polar capillary column (e.g., 5% phenyl methylpolysiloxane) operated under temperature programming to resolve cholesterol from co-extracted lipids and sterol esters.
The FID provides a linear response to carbon mass, enabling accurate quantification based on calibration with certified cholesterol standards. This GC-FID workflow—aligned with AOAC 994.10 and ISO 12228—ensures precise, repeatable measurement of cholesterol content even in complex, multi-ingredient food systems, supporting regulatory compliance and nutritional labeling accuracy.
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Fat (Total, Saturated, Unsaturated) in Foods
Overview
The total, saturated, and unsaturated fat content in foods is a key nutritional indicator affecting energy value, texture, flavor, and health impact. Determining fat composition provides insight into product formulation, authenticity, and compliance with nutritional labeling standards. Saturated fats (e.g., palmitic, stearic acids) influence shelf stability, while unsaturated fats (e.g., oleic, linoleic acids) contribute to nutritional quality and functional properties. Quantifying these lipid classes supports food quality assurance, reformulation for healthier products, and verification of “low-fat” or “unsaturated fat–rich” claims according to regulations such as AOAC 996.06, ISO 12966, and Codex Alimentarius guidelines.
Test Methods
AOAC 996.06
Solutions
Gas Chromatography with Flame Ionization Detection (GC-FID) is the gold-standard method for determining total, saturated, and unsaturated fat in foods through fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. The process begins with lipid extraction from the food sample (e.g., via Soxhlet or Folch extraction), followed by transesterification using methanol and an acid or base catalyst to convert triglycerides into FAMEs. These derivatives are volatile and thermally stable, suitable for GC analysis. Separation is performed on a polar capillary column (such as cyanopropyl polysiloxane) under temperature programming to resolve individual fatty acids from C4 to C24.
The FID provides a proportional response to carbon mass, allowing quantification based on calibration with certified FAME standards. Summation of the identified fatty acids yields total fat, while classification by chain structure and saturation defines saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fractions. This GC-FID approach delivers high precision, reproducibility, and regulatory compliance—making it ideal for nutritional labeling, food composition databases, and lipid-quality monitoring in a wide range of food products.
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Sugars in Brewery Malt Extract
Overview
Brewery malt extract is rich in fermentable carbohydrates, primarily maltose, maltotriose, glucose, and dextrins, which serve as the main energy source for yeast during fermentation. The sugar composition directly influences fermentation efficiency, flavor development, alcohol yield, and product consistency. Accurate determination of individual sugars in malt extract is essential for monitoring mashing performance, controlling wort composition, and ensuring consistent beer quality. Quantifying these sugars also supports process optimization and helps detect issues such as incomplete starch conversion or unwanted caramelization during malt extract production.
Test Methods
Solutions
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is the preferred method for separating and quantifying sugars in malt extract. Samples are typically diluted with deionized water, filtered, and injected into an HPLC system equipped with a carbohydrate or amino-bonded column. Isocratic elution with a mobile phase such as acetonitrile–water (75:25) or pure water under controlled temperature allows efficient separation of mono- and oligosaccharides based on polarity and molecular size. Detection is commonly achieved using a Refractive Index (RI) detector, which responds to non-UV-absorbing sugars like glucose, maltose, and maltotriose.
Calibration with certified sugar standards ensures quantitative accuracy and reproducibility. HPLC-RI provides high precision, minimal sample preparation, and reliable profiling of sugar composition—making it ideal for quality control, fermentation monitoring, and research applications in the brewing industry.
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Carbohydrates in Lemonade
Overview
Lemonade and other fruit-based beverages contain naturally occurring and added sugars—primarily glucose, fructose, and sucrose—that contribute to sweetness, mouthfeel, and caloric content. Determining the carbohydrate composition is essential for verifying formulation accuracy, ensuring nutritional label compliance, and monitoring product consistency during production. Accurate sugar profiling also helps detect adulteration, assess flavor balance, and evaluate the effects of sweetener blends or process adjustments on beverage quality.
Test Methods
Solutions
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is the preferred technique for separating and quantifying carbohydrates in lemonade. The sample is typically filtered and injected directly into an HPLC system equipped with a carbohydrate or amino-bonded column. Using an isocratic mobile phase of acetonitrile–water (75:25) or deionized water, the system efficiently separates glucose, fructose, and sucrose based on polarity and retention time. Detection is performed using a Refractive Index (RI) or Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD), both of which are suitable for non-UV-absorbing sugars. Calibration with certified standards ensures quantitative accuracy and repeatability. The HPLC method provides precise, reproducible results—making it ideal for nutritional labeling, quality control, and formulation verification in beverage manufacturing.
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SpectraLab Scientific Inc
Established in 2003,
SpectraLab Scientific is a global leader of Refurbished analytical equipment. We specialize in reconditioning equipment, integrating the best available technologies from leading manufacturers across the industry. We are committed to quality and service, delivering strong customer satisfaction. We stock over 10,000 pre-owned lab equipment, components, and mix-and-match parts for your systems.