Novel approach for sulfur-treated foods

A research team at Hong Kong Baptist University has developed a new approach for the inspection of sulfur-treated food and Chinese herbal medicinal products through tryptophan sulfonate.

This approach is more accurate, rapid, and efficient for large sample quantities.

Sulfur fumigation and the addition of sulfites is a common preservation method used in food and Chinese herbal medicinal industries.

Excessive consumption of preservative sulfites can lead to respiratory issues and compromised nutritional value and safety. Current sulfite tests, commonly used for residual sulfite inspection, can yield inaccurate results, especially in sulfur-rich foods like garlic and onion.

Xu Jun, assistant professor at the School of Chinese Medicine, and his team identified a chemical compound, tryptophan sulfonate, in sulfur-fumigated samples using untargeted metabolomics. It is formed when tryptophan reacts with sulfite.

The tryptophan sulfonate test is faster and more automated.

Findings have been published in the scientific journal Food Chemistry.