Multidimensional detection methods for separations and their application in food analysis

The use of the multidimensional detection systems, mass spectrometry and NMR, with separation techniques is discussed with a consideration of their actual or potential application in food analysis. The features of the most commonly used interfaces for coupling liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) are briefly examined and examples from the literature on the use of LC-MS in the analysis of natural components in foodstuffs are reported. The potential capabilities for food analysis of LC-NMR, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC)-MS and capillary electrophoresis (CE)-MS are highlighted.