University of Missouri scientist Colleen Ray can now add the job of “food detective” to her resumé. Recently, Ray and colleagues in the Department of Chemistry developed a novel method — using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy — to detect whether food products have been modified or adulterated with fillers like vegetable oil.

The scientists were motivated by a need to help regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with detection of adulterated food products that are products in which certain ingredients are missing or replaced.