## 3 Applications in Food Safety
### LC and GC Separations
In 2011, [PERSON] _et al._ developed and validated an analytical method for the determination of banned colorants in spices, using a narrow-bore commercial monolithic column [35]. The analysis time, achieved using conventional HPLC instrumentation, is comparable and, in some cases, even lower than the previously reported UHPLC approaches. This new narrow-bore monolithic column provides high performance separations at very low operating pressures. This unique feature makes the column compatible not only with UHPLC instruments, but also with conventional HPLC, offering an interesting hybrid solution. Additionally, the typical working flow rates are ideal for mass spectrometric detection. CEC is a separation technique that combines the features of HPLC and CE. It can be coupled to a wide variety of detection systems, such as UV, conductivity, laser-induced fluorescence and mass spectrometry (MS). These detectors are available to couple on-line with CEC. Capillary monolithic columns are also used as stationary phases for CEC. In a recent work, on-line preconcentration CEC separation of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in seafood was performed using a polymeric monolith as the separation column [41]. The analytes were successfully determined at very low levels using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). On some occasions, the monolith is prepared with a molecular imprinting technique, allowing the so-called molecularly-imprinted capillary electrochromatography (MICEC). Recently, [PERSON] _et al._ applied a MICEC method for the rapid determination of organophosphorus pesticide trichloron residues in vegetable samples with good accuracy [52]. Coupling the molecular imprinting technique to CEC can take advantage of the high specific and good adsorption abilities of MIPs, helping to overcome the low sensitivity of CEC. The current trends in the development of molecularly-imprinted capillary columns as stationary phases in CEC have been presented in a very recent revision by [PERSON] _et al._[58]. The use of monoliths in gas chromatography is one of the least common applications. The early monolithic GC columns were displaced by the overwhelmingly popular open capillary columns. These monolithic stationary phases have re-emerged in the last few decades, including both polymer- and silica-based options [3, 59]. Studies using monoliths for GC separation of residues and contaminants that are monitored in food matrices could not be found in the literature of the last five years. However, a few applications on other fields have been reported. For example, the potential of silica under its monolithic form as a stationary phase in GC for the separation of very volatile compounds has been demonstrated [60]. Furthermore, monolithic columns have been suggested as interesting formats for GC \(\times\) GC [61]. Monoliths have been used also in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) in food analysis, more dedicated to food constituents, such as lipids and fat-soluble vitamins [62]. These monolithic columns allow working with complicated samples at high flow rates, the result being separations in very short run times.