MiPlaMiPro

The project will establish two complementary methods for microplastic analysis in food: TED-GC/MS for mass-based polymer quantification via pyrolysis and marker fragments, and Raman microscopy for image-based identification of individual particles based on their spectra. This allows not only the polymer content but also particle characteristics such as size, shape, and color to be determined, and potential sources of contamination to be identified. Technical requirements were defined for both methods, and a workflow for filtering liquid samples was established. Tests with microplastic reference standards provided initial limits of detection and quantification for TED-GC/MS; the standards were also incorporated into a Raman database. Planned recovery tests are intended to strengthen validation and improve performance in real samples. Since food matrices contain proteins, fats, and sugars, suitable extraction strategies are evaluated, matrix-particle interactions are investigated, and a method for enriching samples with expected low concentrations is developed. Contamination control (cleanroom, laminar flow, blank samples) is a top priority and provides a robust foundation for industrial applications and other matrices.