RAFA 2021: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Analytical strategies to identify and quantify the next emerging contaminant in Food & Beverage

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of >4,000 man-made compounds used since the 1940s. However, their persistence has only recently raised concern of their presence in food & beverages.

Analysis of PFAS in the sub part per billion range in foods is challenging and requires robust sample extraction, rigorous quality control to prevent background contamination and sensitive analytical approaches typically involving LC/MS.

Furthermore, several of the PFAS present in food & the environment are currently unidentified and do not have analytical standards hence require high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques like quadrupole time of flight instrumentation for their analysis.

This presentation will detail strategies for both targeted quantification and identification of legacy & emerging PFAS in food & beverage.

Presenter: Tarun Anumol, Ph.D (Director, Global Environment & Food Markets, Agilent Technologies)