Case StudyQIB Extra Ltd

Detecting adulteration of Arabica coffeewith robusta using benchtop NMR

Highlighting coffee fraud

Introducing benchtop NMR

Coffee is one of the most widely tradedcommodities in the world, however,high-quality Arabica roast coffee can be
adulterated with less expensive coffee
types, such as robusta. That means coffee
producers and buyers need a fast, accurate
and cost-effective way to check theauthenticity of every batch.

QIB Extra Ltd is a provider of strategic and applied research services,“We are now able to offer anNMR-based authentication service
to the sector for the very first time”

including this type of coffee analysis, to companies in the food, diet andhealth sectors. The arrival of benchtop Nuclear Magnetic Resonance(NMR) analysis has transformed how QIB Extra approaches this task.
Previously, NMR was far too expensive for this type of routine analysis,
however Oxford Instrument’s Pulsar™ solution has changed thelandscape.
“We have a long history of using high-field NMR spectroscopy for
analytical purposes, including developing methods for authenticating
the composition of foods. However, translating these into commercial
settings has always been a challenge. The Full Economic Cost of services
based upon research-grade high-field instruments is prohibitive – aspecialist technician is required to maintain the machine; the capitaland depreciation costs are high, likewise annual maintenance including
cryogens,” explains Elizabeth Saggers, Operations Director, QIB Extra.
“The arrival of benchtop NMR for analytical screening has therefore been

Elizabeth Saggers,Operations Director, QIB Extraa game changer. Once we had established a method using the low-fieldapproach, we were able to offer it as a service to clients at a competitive
rate, as the upkeep of the low-field instrument is so cost effective.”Low cost, high speed

app developed in-house at QIB (now also sold in collaboration

To authenticate coffee using Pulsar, 10g of ground roast coffee

for returning the outcome for each sample in a straightforward

are stirred with 30ml chloroform for 5 minutes, then filtered andinterface,” adds Saggers. “We are now able to offer an NMR-dried in a vortex evaporator for 30 minutes. The dried extract isbased authentication service to the sector for the very first time,then re-dissolved in 800µl of deuterated chloroform and filtered

at a price commensurate with large-scale, regular screening. We

directly into standard 5mm NMR tubes. Measurement time inbelieve this to be a worldwide first.”

Pulsar is approximately 40 minutes, making a total preparationand measurement time of approximately 90 minutes per sample.
This compares very well with the alternative, chromatographic
methods for coffee authentication, which invariably have muchlengthier preparation steps.

with Oxford Instruments). This provides a one-click procedure

Furthermore, Oxford Instruments’Pulsar is not limited to coffee
analysis, it can also be used todetermine the compositionof fatty acids and detect“We have streamlined the sample preparation method withedible oil adulteration. It isa well-researched standard operating protocol, and thea simple, fast, accurate andsubsequent spectral analysis is carried out using a bespoke

cost-effective way to carryout a wide range of foodrelated analysis.

Oxford Instruments’ Pulsar
Pulsar is a high resolution, 60MHz benchtop NMR spectrometer,
providing high quality 1-D and 2-D NMR spectra of 1H, 19F, 13C andother nuclei. It uses a permanent magnet which means it requires
neither liquid helium nor liquid nitrogen. Advanced, automatic
shimming produces a highly homogeneous magnetic field meaningthat Pulsar is suitable for use in almost any industrial or academic
chemistry laboratory, for teaching, for organic synthesis analysis, orfor materials identification.
For many analyses, liquidsamples can be run neat; solid
samples can be dissolved indeuterated or non-deuterated
solvents. Intuitive, stepby-step software takes theuser seamlessly through themeasurement process, and data
is processed with the industryrenowned Mnova software.

If you would like to find out more or arrange a demo please get in touch today.

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visit www.oxinst.com/pulsar for more information or email magres@oxinst.com

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