Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry as a tool to identify adulteration in different food industries

Abstract The chemical composition of foodstuffs can be used as an indicator of quality, origin, authenticity, and adulteration. Food adulteration is usually carried out in terms of increasing volume, masking the presence of lesser quality ingredients, and replacing authentic substances, aiming at increasing economic gains. In addition, assessing the chemical composition of food allows knowing if there are substances whose presence can pose health risks, namely, pesticides, metals, and antibiotics. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC–MS) is nowadays one of the most used analytical approaches in addressing food authenticity. In this chapter the role of LC–MS-based techniques for food chemistry composition and authentication is addressed. The listing of several applications is beyond the scope of this contribution, and the reader is referred to relevant applications that have been published in the last years.