The software application with built-in automation is designed for targeted and non-targeted analysis when using AB SCIEX TripleTOF mass technology.
Most current software requires hours and hours of manual data processing, said AB SCIEX.
MasterView Software takes manual processes and automates them to enable the user to get to the answer faster with screening samples against set targeted lists possible in five mouse clicks and less than two minutes to results.
Identifying all compounds
MasterView Software enables labs to identify all of the compounds in a food sample, then filter away the ‘normal’ compounds to only highlight what might be suspicious, said Vincent Paez, senior director, Environmental & Food Safety, Applied Markets.
“Food safety testing scientists are typically only looking to find toxic or hazardous substances among all of the other good compounds,” he told FoodQualityNews.com.
“An example is a tomato sample – when analyzed by mass spectrometry, we identified 1272 chemical features.
“By using MasterView Software with unique workflows, we are able to reduce this down to only 21 relevant signals. This enables users to just focus on the critical peaks rather than the normal features of the food.”
Unknown compounds in food incidents
Paez cited melamine as an example that many food incidents happen due to the presence of an unknown compound that were never found because it is not targeted in a routine screen.
“MasterView Software, combined with TripleTOF data acquisition, enables labs to collect information on any and all chemical compounds in a sample, allowing labs to acquire data on compounds that they know but to also survey for other unknowns that might be present,” he said.
“This proactive non-targeted screening approach could enable labs to potentially catch a hazardous food contamination before any escalation into a major health concern or crisis.
“When screening samples for unknowns or non-targeted compounds, the software offers suggested molecular formulae for each peak, and enables a single click integration into ChemSpider for the technician to investigate and identify what chemical compound gives rise to that peak.”
AB SCIEX said the software is only available for TripleTOF technology at the moment but there are development plans to build on it in the future.