Determination of food safety, quality and authenticity using X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy

我们申请拨款购买一台用于食品元素分析的X射线荧光光谱仪。传统的元素分析技术，如电感耦合等离子体质谱法，不适用于筛选目的，因为它们体积庞大，并涉及耗时的样品燃烧或消化步骤。相比之下，XRF光谱仪是一种非破坏性，快速，具有成本效益和现场部署的设备，可以确定具有强大鲁棒性的元素，这是农业食品研究应用迫切需要的。该XRF光谱仪将在麦吉尔麦克唐纳校区的光谱设施中运行和维护，有助于解决麦吉尔研究人员对农业食品研究的高需求和未满足的需求。申请人来自食品科学和农业化学，生物资源工程，自然资源科学和人类营养学院的部门，他们在痕量食品污染物检测，食品认证，食品偏好和消费者接受度，风味化学，先进食品加工，农业传感以及环境和农业食品毒理学等领域进行关键研究。除了为食品安全、食品质量、食品认证和农业食品毒理学创造新的和维持现有的研究、合作和资助机会外，该设备还将为90多名高素质人员（HQP）提供实践培训。拟议的仪器将是未来几十年的关键主力，并将通过HQP培训和促进食品科学及其他领域的卓越研究，为麦吉尔及其员工增加巨大价值。

We request grant to purchase an X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer for food elemental analysis. The conventional elemental analytical techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy, are not suitable for screening purposes as they are bulky and involve time-consuming sample combustion or digestion steps. In comparison, XRF spectroscopy is a non-destructive, rapid, cost-effective, and field deployable equipment to determine elements with great robustness, which is urgently needed for agri-food research applications. To be operated and maintained in the Spectroscopic Facility at McGill Macdonald campus, this XRF spectrometer aids in addressing the high and unmet demand for agri-food studies by researchers across McGill. Applicants are from the Departments of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Bioresource Engineering, Natural Resource Sciences, and School of Human Nutrition, who conduct critical research in the areas of detection of trace food contaminants, food authentication, food preferences and consumer acceptance, flavor chemistry, advanced food processing, agricultural sensing, and environmental and agri-food toxicology. In addition to creating new and maintaining establshed research, collaboration and funding opportunities for food safety, food quality, food authentication, and agri-food toxicology, the equipment will also provide hands on training for over 90 highly qualified personnel (HQP). The proposed instrument will be a critical workhorse for the next several decades and will add great value to McGill and its employees via HQP training and by fostering research excellence in several fields of food science and beyond.