With the quantity of rice and rice-based foodstuffs imported into the EU growing each year, correctly distinguishing and quantifying highly toxic inorganic arsenic compounds from less harmful arsenic species that may be present in these imports has become increasingly important. In recognition of this, in June 2015 the European Union added inorganic arsenic to its regulations for setting maximum levels in a range of rice-based products. To meet the demands of the new regulations, arsenic speciation using ICP-MS interfaced with either an ion chromatography (IC) or liquid chromatography (LC) system is required. Ion chromatography is a particularly effective technique for this analysis, because of its high selectivity and sensitive detection capability. In addition to its speciation capabilities when coupled with IC, ICP-MS by itself is an effective tool for quantifying total arsenic concentrations in oxidized or digested food samples.
What will you learn?
You will learn about the recent EU regulations regarding arsenic in rice based foodstuffs, the latest developments in arsenic speciation using IC-ICP-MS and the performance of ICP-MS for total arsenic measurement in a selection of food and beverage samples.
