Melamine detection in milk using vibrational spectroscopy and chemometrics analysis: a review

Abstract

Major advances in the field of chemometrics combined with the use of vibrational spectroscopy have proven es- sential for the identi fi cation and quanti fi cation of food contaminants. These techniques, which have guided the work of regulatory agencies overlooking the food industry, can be readily applied to monitor food processing, quality control, and quality assurance. These processes can ensure product authenticity with respect to variety, geographicalorigin,andpresenceorabsenceofcontaminants.Foodanalysisbyvibrationalspectroscopyprovides overall chemical composition of the tested food sample; therefore, it is widely considered to be a highly reliable and empirical fi ngerprints of that samples. In 2008, melamine adulteration of milk powder in China resulted in devastatinglyadverseeffectsforbothconsumersandtheoverallChineseeconomyatlarge.Asaresult,regulatory agencies have markedly increased their interest in using fast, reliable, and accurate methods for identifying food contaminants.Inthis article,weprovidea detailed overview of theuses of vibrationalspectroscopy methodsand chemometrics for the detection and quanti fi cation of melamine in dairy products.