Electrochemical and Chromatographic Methods for Food Preservatives

Electrochemical and chromatographic techniques underpin the accurate detection and quantification of chemical preservatives such as benzoates, sorbates and natamycin in food matrices. Chromatographic separation, most commonly high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), exploits differential interactions between analytes and stationary phases to resolve complex mixtures, offering high resolution, reproducibility and adaptability to diverse sample types. Reversed-phase columns, combined with UV or mass-spectrometric detection, remain prevalent for routine surveillance of antifungal and antimicrobial additives across dairy, bakery and beverage products. Complementary electroanalytical strategies employ sensors or electrodes modified with conductive polymers, nanomaterials or molecularly imprinted films to transduce redox or binding events into measurable electrical signals. Such platforms enable rapid on-site screening, minimal sample preparation and the potential for multiplexed assays. Advances in electrode surface chemistry and flow-injection analysis have reduced detection limits into low micromolar or parts-per-billion ranges, addressing industry and regulatory demands for real-time monitoring. Integration of both approaches within hyphenated systems is fostering novel workflows that pair sensor pre-concentration steps with chromatographic confirmation, enhancing throughput while maintaining stringent analytical performance. The global significance of these developments is reflected in efforts to standardise protocols and disseminate portable devices for quality assurance in supply chains.

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Electrochemical and Chromatographic Methods for Food Preservatives publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical and chromatographic methods for food preservatives across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC): Analytical technique that separates components in a mixture via high-pressure flow through a stationary phase.

Reversed-phase chromatography: Mode of HPLC in which non-polar stationary phases retain hydrophobic analytes longer than polar compounds.

Voltammetry: Electrochemical method measuring current as a function of applied potential to characterise redox-active species.

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP): Synthetic polymer formed with template molecules to create selective binding sites for target analytes.

Detection limit: Lowest concentration of an analyte that can be reliably distinguished from a blank measurement.

References

1. ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ВЫСОКОЭФФЕКТИВНОЙ ЖИДКОСТНОЙ ХРОМАТОГРАФИИ ДЛЯ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ КОНСЕРВАНТОВ В МОЛОЧНЫХ ПРОДУКТАХ. Химия физика биология математика теоретические и прикладные исследования (2022).
2. Determination of Natamycin in Turkish Yoghurt. International Journal of Analytical Chemistry (2016).