Lipids play a wide range of important roles in food, be it as source of energy or precursors for characteristic flavour compounds [1]. Food often contain a complex and structurally diverse mixture of hundreds of lipid species and individual lipids or lipid patterns can be characteristic for specific food groups. In addition, some lipids (such as phytosterols or polyunsaturated fatty acids) have favourable bioactivities which makes them valuable or even essential constituents of our diet. On the other hand, some lipids and particularly lipid oxidation products are linked with adverse biological effects [2]. The analysis of lipids therefore opens a window to probe various aspects of quality, authenticity and safety of food. However, due to the structural diversity and complexity of the lipid fraction, this is a highly challenging endeavour and frequently requires a combination of several (hyphenated) approaches.
Here, we present results from the application of gas chromatography coupled to (high resolution) mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and liquid chromatography coupled to ion mobility spectrometry and high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-HRMS) for the detailed analysis of lipids from food such as plants, milk and dietary supplements. This was used to characterise valuable food constituents as well undesired lipid oxidation products, probe the authenticity of food [3, 4]. By analysing traces of preserved lipid residues in archaeological artefacts even dietary patterns of humans living several millennia ago can be elucidated, emphasising the wide range of information deducible through food lipid analysis [5].
Literature:
[1] Z. Tietel et al., Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf. 2023, 22, 4302. [2] S. A. Vieira et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 2017, 94, 339. [3] S. Hammann et al., Food Chem. 2019, 282, 27. [4] A. Zartmann; Eur. Food Res. Technol. 2023, 249, 1035. [5] S. Hammann et al., Nat. Commun. 2022, 13, 5045
