Metrohm's method requires only moderate spending on instrumentation and is reportedly sensitive enough to quantify melamine contents well below the limits set by food safety regulatory authorities.
Melamine is an industrial chemical in the production of resins, which are used in laminates, glues, adhesives and plastics. It has become notorious as an illicit adulterant used to simulate higher protein levels in milk powder and other food.
The new chromotography method to detect melamine contamination in food relies on the 844 UV/VIS Compact IC, Metrohm's all-in-one system for the spectrophotometric determination of polar substances, anions and cations. Sample preparation is possible due to Metrohm's patented inline sample dialysis. This kind of inline sample preparation effectively eliminates the organic matrix, the company says.
