The 54th German Food Chemistry Days 2026 in Kaiserslautern show how quickly food analytics is evolving. Classic quality control is no longer the whole story. The GDCh highlights food toxicology, biofunctional ingredients, omics, modern analytics, food biotechnology, microbiology, quality assurance, and residues and contaminants as key conference topics.

Two developments stand out as particularly relevant to the challenges facing modern laboratories: PFAS and emerging contaminants, and Novel Food and alternative protein sources.

PFAS and Emerging Contaminants: More Substances Under Analytical Scrutiny

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are among the substance groups currently receiving significant attention in food and environmental analytics.

The challenge lies not only in their often very low concentrations, but also in the large number of different compounds. Classic analyses frequently focus on known target substances. This captures only part of what may actually be present in a sample.

New analytical strategies are therefore becoming increasingly important.

From Target Screening to Non-Target Screening

Classic target analysis searches specifically for previously known substances.

Modern approaches go further.

Suspect screening searches for substances expected based on existing data or suspect lists, even when conventional reference methods are not necessarily available.

With non-target screening, the sample is examined as comprehensively as possible without committing to individual substances before measurement.

This approach is particularly interesting for PFAS and other emerging contaminants. High-resolution mass spectrometry allows complex samples to be investigated in greater detail and supports the detection of previously unknown or non-targeted compounds.

The question therefore shifts from:

“Is substance X present?”

to:

“Which relevant substances are actually present in this sample?”

Novel Food and Alternative Proteins Are Changing Analytics

At the same time, the foods themselves are changing.

Plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, fermentation-derived ingredients, algae, insect proteins, and other alternative protein sources are becoming increasingly important.

This creates new tasks for food analytics. For Novel Food, determining classic nutritional values alone is not enough. Analytical laboratories increasingly need to assess several aspects at the same time.

These include:

• Composition and protein content
• Authenticity of the raw materials used
• Allergens
• Possible contaminants
• Residues from production and processing
• Microbiological safety
• Undesirable co-substances
• Product stability and quality

New Foods, New Analytical Questions

A plant-based product, for example, may contain several different protein sources.

This raises analytical questions such as:

Which plant species were actually used?

Does the composition match the declared label?

Are unexpected allergens present?

Are residues or contaminants from raw materials or processing present?

Do new substances form during processing or fermentation that need to be considered analytically?

As a result, food analytics, molecular biology, microbiology, and modern mass spectrometry are becoming increasingly interconnected.

PFAS and Novel Food Have More in Common Than It First Appears

At first glance, PFAS analytics and alternative proteins appear to be two unrelated topics.

Analytically, however, one important factor connects them:

Modern food composition is becoming more complex while the number of substances that need to be investigated is increasing.

For PFAS, the question is which known and potentially unknown contaminants are present.

For Novel Food, the question is which ingredients, proteins, allergens, and unexpected compounds are actually present in a product.

In both areas, analytics focused exclusively on individual known substances is becoming increasingly insufficient.

Modern Mass Spectrometry Is Gaining Importance

This development increases the importance of modern analytical platforms.

Especially important are:

• LC-MS/MS for sensitive quantitative determination of numerous polar and less thermally stable substances.
• GC-MS for volatile and thermally suitable compounds.
• High-resolution mass spectrometry for suspect and non-target screening and the identification of previously unknown substances.

These methods are increasingly complemented by molecular biology techniques, spectroscopy, and omics technologies.

Reliable laboratory infrastructure and the selection of suitable laboratory chemicals also play an important role in reproducible analytical workflows. Applichem, Merck, and J.T. Baker are among the suppliers of laboratory chemicals included in the häberle LABORTECHNIK manufacturer portfolio.

Omics as the Next Step

The omics technologies highlighted at the German Food Chemistry Days fit directly into this development.

Metabolomics examines small molecules and metabolic products in a sample as comprehensively as possible.

Proteomics focuses on proteins.

Genomics provides information about genetic material and can help identify biological source materials.

For new foods in particular, these methods offer the potential for a more detailed understanding of composition and authenticity.

Sample Preparation Remains Decisive

For all the technological progress, one point should not be underestimated:

The quality of an analysis begins long before the instrument.

As sensitivity increases, sampling, sample preparation, and contamination control become increasingly important. This includes:

• Suitable sample containers, for example LLG 2in1 kits with ND9 short-thread vials and wide opening
• Reproducible extraction procedures
• Filtration and clean-up
• High-purity solvents
• Reference standards
• Suitable chromatography columns
• Controlled blanks
• Documented workflows

Especially at very low concentrations, even minor contamination can affect the measurement result.

For filtration and chromatographic sample preparation, Macherey-Nagel GmbH & Co. KG offers products including syringe filters, SPE columns, and chromatography solutions. These products support the clean-up and preparation of complex samples before instrumental analysis.

Merck KGaA is also part of the häberle LABORTECHNIK manufacturer portfolio and offers products for chemical and analytical laboratory applications. Suitable solvents, reagents, and laboratory chemicals are important components of reliable sample preparation workflows.

Sartorius Lab Instruments is another manufacturer represented in the häberle LABORTECHNIK portfolio. Filtration solutions and other laboratory products support reproducible sample preparation and analytical workflows.

From sample containers and syringe filters to reference standards, you will find suitable accessories for the different stages of sample preparation in the sample preparation range at häberle LABORTECHNIK.

Food Analytics Is Becoming More Comprehensive

The developments around PFAS and Novel Food point to a fundamental shift.

The laboratory of the future will not only need to detect increasingly small amounts of known substances. It will increasingly need to recognise unexpected substances, assess complex compositions, and reliably evaluate large volumes of data.

Food analytics is therefore moving away from targeted single-substance determination toward a more comprehensive characterisation of samples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between target, suspect, and non-target screening?

Target screening searches specifically for previously known individual substances. Suspect screening extends this approach to substances expected based on suspect lists or existing data. Non-target screening examines a sample as comprehensively as possible without committing to individual substances beforehand. This makes it particularly useful for PFAS and other emerging contaminants.

Why is PFAS analysis in food so demanding?

PFAS can occur at very low concentrations and comprise a large number of different compounds. Classic targeted analysis therefore captures only part of what may be present. High-resolution mass spectrometry and non-target screening broaden the analytical perspective.

Which analytical methods are needed for Novel Food?

Beyond classic nutritional analysis, methods are needed to assess authenticity, allergens, contaminants, microbiological safety, and residues. These include LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and omics technologies such as metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics.

How important is sample preparation for PFAS and Novel Food analytics?

It is critical. At very low concentrations, even minor contamination can affect the measurement result. Suitable sample containers, reproducible extraction, clean filtration, suitable solvents, and reference standards provide the foundation for reliable analytical results.

Conclusion

The 2026 German Food Chemistry Days address key developments in modern food analytics, including modern analytical methods, omics, food biotechnology, and residues and contaminants.

PFAS and emerging contaminants demonstrate why suspect and non-target screening, together with high-resolution mass spectrometry, are becoming increasingly important.

Novel Food and alternative proteins show how new foods create new analytical questions.

Both developments point in the same direction:

Food analytics is becoming more sensitive, more comprehensive, and more data-driven, while modern laboratory technology is becoming an increasingly important building block for quality, safety, and consumer protection.