We take huge pride in the important work carried out by our global Analytical Services team. The expertise, knowledge and skill of our people gives our customers peace of mind that they are partnering with an ingredients solutions manufacturer that they can trust. Every member of the growing department play an important role in the business assuring we meet the highest set of industry standards, which gives our international customer base constant peace of mind.
This month, we’re shining a light on this part of our business and introduce you to a member of our Analytical Service team in the UK. Anita Cooper joined the business in 2017 and shares her thoughts on life as an Analytical Chemist at Treatt. She said: “Everyone wants your feedback and opinion; it feels like a place of study where nurturing and encouragement are the standard. It is very clear the hard work that goes into providing excellence for customers, but it is also very apparent that managers have the same goals for helping us all to progress."
Our Analytical Services team analyse a number of essential oils for various contaminants including agricultural residues and phthalates. Today, there is a vast array of chemicals used to protect crops from pests and disease. These chemicals play a huge role in our food production system, yet come with varying toxicological effects, which is why our team is so important in providing consistent results. Integrity cannot be imitated or bought, which is why our quality assurance and control processes are of paramount importance and provide our customers with reliable results they can trust.
Contaminants can either be ‘broad-spectrum’ pesticides design to work on an array of pests or specific to cope with a particular problem or crop. These are often used in mixtures to prevent pest becoming resistant to a particular chemical. With a sound knowledge of the chemicals likely to be applied to particular crops combined with specific and reliable analytical methods and knowledge of current pesticide legislation, the Analytical Services team are able to provide a vast amount of information on the quality of compounds that may be present.
Gas Chromatography is probably the most effective separation techniques available in the analysis of essential oils; the sample is injected directly into a heated inlet, vaporised and carried through to the analytical column by means of a carrier gas. The compounds are separated by their polarity and affinity to the stationary phase. The GC technique is then hyphenated with mass spectrometry or specific detectors to enhance sensitivity facilitating detection down to 10ppb.
Our quality assurance and control processes are paramount to us and we are proud to say our reputation is built on years of consistent results, but we are even more delighted and thankful to the commitment, skills and knowledge of our team who all make it happen.
To find out more about our expertise, get in touch at enquries@treatt.com.
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