Japan Proposes Quantitative Testing Methods for Food and Agricultural Products

On July 1, 2024, Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) revealed the General Requirements for Quantitative Methods Using Relative Molar Sensitivity in Food or Agricultural Products (Draft) for public comments. Any comments can be submitted before July 30, 2024 via e-Gov opinion form.

This standard specifies the procedures for determining the relative molar sensitivity of the target analyte through using a reference substance, as well as the general requirements for developing and using the quantification method for the target analyte based on the pre-determined relative molar sensitivity.

According to the draft, when using chromatographic methods for quantitative analysis of ingredients in food and agricultural products, reliable quantitative determination values require the use of quantitative reference standards with known purity or concentration. As the demand for determining a wide range of chemical substances continues to increase, not all substances have its corresponding quantitative reference standard. By using relative molar sensitivity, it is possible to use quantitative reference standards of different substances other than the target analyte, enabling highly reliable quantitative analysis.

Although various methods can be considered to determine the relative molar sensitivity, the combination of quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (qNMR) spectroscopy and chromatography is the convenient approach. By using the inherent detector response ratios between the two different substances, it is possible to use one substance as a reference to calculate the quantity of the other substance.

Food and agricultural enterprises may strengthen quality control through such quantitative methods. Additionally, alternative methods like relative molar sensitivity can reduce costly reference standards, optimizing testing expenses and enhancing operational profitability.