Laboratory for food quality inspection
The multifunctional Laboratory for food quality inspection is a part of the Laboratory for plant and environment protection within the Faculty of Agriculture at Goce Delcev University. The main function of this lab is to inspect a great number of chemical and physical parameters, related to edible oils, milk and dairy products, wine and other groceries that are in daily use. Testing of relevant chemical parameters that affect the quality and characteristics of nutritional products is of huge importance, primarily because of the sensitivity of the area in terms of possible effects on consumers’ health. The use of many chemicals in processes of plant protection and growth often leads to presence of significant concentrations of hazardous organic and inorganic compounds in foods of plant and animal origin. The presence of hazardous substances in food directly affects the health and the immune system of the consumers.
The purpose of the establishment of the Laboratory for food quality inspection is to perform prompt tests of chemical and physical parameters that are in direct correlation with the quality of the groceries that are in daily use. The laboratory is equipped with the following items: electrochemical system Autolab Potentiostat PGSTAT 128 N, system for measurement of oxidation potential of edible oils; device for measuring the alcohol in alcoholic drinks; UV-VIS spectrophotometer; microwave oven; Soxhlet extractor. In near future we expect equipping of the segment for milk and dairy product analysis with high-pressure liquid chromatography system.
By using the instrumental systems installed in the laboratory, many chemical and physical parameters that are crucial for the quality control of edible oils, milk and dairy products and alcoholic beverages can be determined quickly and accurately. Moreover, by applying the electrochemical system Autolab Potentiostat PGSTAT 128 N it is possible to follow the reaction mechanisms of transformation of certain components present in food, as well as the effects of certain substances on living cells. At the same time, by using this type of testing it is possible to predict the potential harmful effects of hazardous substances and the way a great number of substances pass through the cell membranes.
