Vanilla is used widely in the food industry, and is a high value ingredient. A rapid assay has been developed using DAPCI (Desorption Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation) coupled with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, to distinguish natural vanilla from imitation vanilla. The assay can be directly applied to vanilla pods/powder or vanilla extracts. Pure extracts produced mass spectra with no additives detected (ethyl vanillin, piperonal and coumarin). Coumarin which is restricted in some coutries had a limit of detection of 0.1ppb. The method is being investigated to see if country of origin can be verified.
Read the abstract here
Comments