ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES : Course intended for 3rd-year students in Food Biotechnology

Abstract

The reliability of nutritional and health monitoring of food depends in particular on the methods used to perform analyses. Different types of analytical methods can be distinguished, depending on the analytical objective pursued (detection/quantification, characterisation, etc.) or the status of the method (standardised reference method, commercially available alternative method, internal method). This course covers analytical techniques used in the food industry. It presents regulated instrumental analysis with an emphasis on general methods for testing and analysing food products. In order to address regulated food analysis, understanding the term ‘food’ is a good starting point. Food refers to any substance consumed for nutritional purposes. Food contains essential nutrients such as fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The choice of analytical method must take into account the nature of the results sought. It is therefore important to know the ‘internal’ performance characteristics of an analytical method during the period under consideration when using it on substances to be analysed. Any analytical method used on substances to be analysed must be...