Determination of adulteration, geographical origins, and species of food by mass spectrometry

Food adulteration, mislabeling, and fraud, are rising global issues. Therefore, a number of precise and reliable analytical instruments and approaches have been proposed to ensure the authenticity and accurate labeling of food and food products by confirming that the constituents of foodstuffs are of the kind and quality claimed by the seller and manufacturer. Traditional techniques (e.g., genomics-based methods) are still in use; however, emerging approaches like mass spectrometry (MS)-based technologies are being actively developed to supplement or supersede current methods for authentication of a variety of food commodities and products. This review provides a critical assessment of recent advances in food authentication, including MS-based metabolomics, proteomics and other approaches.