Foodomics is a discipline that studies the food and nutrition domains through the application of advanced omics technologies to improve consumer’s wellbeing, health, and knowledge.
Superb opportunity to acquire a far more detailed and comprehensive molecular picture of food.
Food component analysis
Food quality/authenticity detection
Food safety
Food consumption monitoring
The current research interest of TrAMS group is focused on the development of cutting-edge methodologies and workflows for food authenticity assessment, based on the HRMS analysis of the molecular “fingerprint” of foodstuff using HRMS techniques (LC-ESI- and GC-APCI- QTOFMS, MALDI-TOFMS).
The developed methodologies have been implemented in the study of many different food commodities, emphasizing in National Priority food products such as olive oil, honey and wine.
Olive oil and table olives
Honey
Wine
Milk and dairy products
Fruit juices
Herbs and spices
During the last years, several studies have been put into action in TrAMS group related to different aspects of food authenticity evaluation , such as:
The Geographical and Varietal Origin Investigation of Food Products
The Detection of Trace Level Food Adulteration
The Discrimination of Organic and Conventional production
The Characterization and Nutritional Assessment of Foods
The Monitoring of Food Molecular Changes during Manufacturing Process
Identification of Chemical and Microbiological Indices for Food Freshness
The study of Migration of Packaging Material Organic Compounds to Food
Furthermore, TrAMS group holds a well-established expertise in food safety evaluation and assurance through the development and application of multi-residue trace analysis methodologies for the determination of organic contaminants in food matrices.
Geographical and varietal origin discrimination of food products based on chemical profiling
Discrimination of wines according to variety and vintage year
Discrimination of ΕVOOs according to geographical origin and sensory profile
Geographical and varietal classification of olive oil, wine and honey samples has been achieved using HRMS analysis and advanced chemometrics.
Discrimination of honey according to geographical origin
The Geographical Traceability and Varietal Characterization of foods present two of the most important quality parameters, conferring, as a consequence, prestige and economic value in the products.
Detection of trace level food adulteration
Food adulteration occurs globally and in many facets and affects almost all food commodities. It is defined as “the addition or subtraction of any substance to or from food, so that the natural composition and quality of food substance is affected". Adulteration not only constitutes a considerable economic problem but also may lead to serious health issues for consumers.
Powerful tools have been developed for the detection of food adulteration combining metabolomic profiling, metabolomic fingerprinting and chemometrics
Organic or conventional cultivation discrimination
Organic and conventional EVOOs have been discriminated based on Luteolin content
The discrimination of organic and conventional production has been a critical topic of public discussion and constitutes a scientific issue. It remains a challenge to establish a correlation between agronomical practices and food composition.
Monitoring of bioactive content changes through food processing
The evaluation of changes in the bioactive content of foods during processing is absolutely necessary to assess the dietary value of the processed products. Especially for phenolic antioxidants, it has been repeatedly reported that food processing plays a significant role in the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of polyphenols. Consequently, the future of food processing research will be oriented towards optimization of processing methods that have the potential of retaining, releasing or at best transforming these compounds into more bioavailable forms.
Food Safety Evaluation Assurance
Multi-residue trace analysis for the determination of contaminants in food
- Veterinary drugs and pharmaceutical determination via LC-MS/M
- Mycotoxin determination via LC-MS/MS
- Determination of additives (conservatives, colorants and sweeteners via LC-MS/MS)
- Pesticides analysis in food and drinking water via LC-QTOF-MS, GC-APCI-QTOF-MS, GC/MS-MS
- Heavy metal analysis via ETAAS
The possible presence of veterinary drug residues and other contaminants in food products is one of the key issues for food safety which arouses great public concern.