Use of Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry in Food Analysis. Applications in the Food Analysis Laboratory of the European commission's Joint Research Centre.

Pyrolysis-mass spectrometry (Py-MS) is an analytical fingerprinting technique, that offers distinct advantages in the field of food analysis. The sample is quickly decomposed at several hundred *C and the resulting fragments are analysed by mass spectrometry. The mass spectra are subsequently submitted to multi-variate data analysis. Py-MS was succesfully applied to the determination of the geographical origin of cocoa butters, the detection of addea whey proteins in milk, the characterisation of vinegar and wine and the ripening stages of cheese. By a careful control of the pyrolysis, Py-MS can be applied for the determination of the 180-160 ratio in food (pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, Py-IRMS). an example isz given for the determination of the geographocal origin of olive oils.JRC.I-Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (Ispra