Non-target screening and NIAS analysis

How do you ensure that even unknown and non-intentionally added substances in your materials are reliably detected and evaluated? How can you identify changes in your products and processes at an early stage?

These questions are becoming increasingly important as materials and processes grow more complex. In particular, non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) can arise from raw materials, manufacturing processes, or interactions and pose a special challenge for assessing product safety and compliance. At the same time, regulatory requirements continue to increase across all industries and demand the most complete understanding possible of a product’s composition.

We help you reliably characterize unknown or unexpected substances in your products and systematically integrate them into your risk assessment.

Non-target analysis complements traditional targeted analyses by characterizing all measurable compounds in a sample as comprehensively as possible and creating a unique fingerprint of the sample.

We specialize in high-resolution non-target analyses using LC-HRMS, enabling the reliable detection of unknown or unexpected substances even in complex matrices. This allows us to identify compounds that often remain undetected by targeted analytical methods or target-screening approaches. This represents a significant advantage for demanding applications in regulated industries.

Applications of our non-target analysis

Our non-target analysis using LC-HRMS supports a wide range of applications and contributes to safer products and manufacturing processes:

• For food packaging, potential migrants and NIAS are identified, enabling a scientifically sound assessment of risk and compliance.
• For recycled materials, contaminants, degradation products, and unexpected substances can be identified throughout the recycling process.
• In the field of pharmaceutical products, our analytical methods enable the investigation of extractables and leachables (E&L) as well as other critical impurities.

The data generated through non-target analysis can be retained indefinitely in a digital sample archive and used for retrospective investigations of specific substances. This is particularly advantageous when questions arise later regarding degradation products or substances that were not previously the focus of regulatory authorities, auditors, or approval agencies.

Systematic identification of relevant substances

Non-target screening provides an important foundation for characterizing complex sample matrices as comprehensively as possible and systematically identifying relevant substances. Our efficient analytical methods deliver rapid results, enabling you to focus on key substances, monitor your processes, and identify critical substances and process-related issues at an early stage.

Instead of investing time and resources in the quantification of both relevant and irrelevant compounds, you can concentrate on what truly matters.

Targeted analysis, including LC-MS/MS, can be performed following non-target screening to verify, quantify, and assess identified substances (e.g., BPA, BPS, BPF, PAA, additives, and plasticizers) for specific investigative purposes.

To enable us to process your request as comprehensively and efficiently as possible, please provide the following information (we are happy to enter into an NDA if required):

• Purpose of the analysis (e.g., process comparison, enrichment/depletion studies)
• Material composition and process steps
• Area of application (FCM, recycling, E&L)
• Potential sources of critical substances in your application (intentional use or contamination?)
• Known NIAS
• Analysis in the material itself or after migration testing?