Physical Chemistry 2010 - Workshop: Specific Methods for Food Safety and Quality

1 Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, 11158 Belgrade,
Studentski trg 16, P.O.Box 58, Serbia (mmvchem@sezampro.rs)

2 Department of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade,
11001 Belgrade, Njegoševa 12, P.O.Box 473, Serbia (ggojgic@chem.bg.ac.rs)

Food analysis (in this paper-chemical and biochemical) is one of the tasks of a chemist-analyst that demands the highest level of accountability. According to the concept of responsibility of producers “from field to plate”, the quality and safety of food in the EU is based on “trust”. In the rest of the world, the actions are largely in compliance with the national regulations, which often rely on the legislation of the EU and the USA in this area, as well as on recommendations of FAO/WHO and OECD. Since the end of the last century and even more so during the early years of this century, official analysts (an analogy with official analytical chemists from AOAC) have been under constant “pressure” of (justifiably) strict procedures for routine analysis of macro- and micronutrients, additives and food pollutants, and in particular biologically active components of everyday foods. This is all a consequence of unparalleled development of all segments of the food science and modified nutrition strategy in the 21st century, accordingly followed by introduction of new analytical methods. Changes in this field are further expedited by green analytical chemistry and adjustment of chemical food testing to its principles. Finally, counterfeit foodstuff and amazing ingenuity of its creators makes the job of food analysts additionally difficult, compelling them to constant interaction with the scientific base, particularly given the constraints placed on them by standardization. Food analysis thus borders forensic research.

This paper is an attempt to discern the circumstances of food analysis in the present day.

Miroslav Vrvić is a Full Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry in Belgrade (www.chem.bg.ac.rs). He is a lecturer of Fundamentals of Biotechnology, Biotechnological and Industrial Biochemistry and Ecological Biochemistry at undergraduate, master's and PhD studies. His spheres of interest and scientific and research work include microbiological chemistry, biogeochemistry, biotechnology of active substances, especially nutraceuticals, biogeotechnology and environmental biotechnology, in which he has achieved the most of his fundamental and applied results. He is one of the founders of the Association of Food Technologists of Serbia (2009). Prof. Vrvić is the laureate of the 2000 Medal for exceptional contribution to the application of science in industry, awarded by the Serbian Chemical Society.