High-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance in foodstuff analysis

• High-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR).
• HR-MAS NMR is a powerful, underestimated tool for foodstuff analysis.
• Basic principles of HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy.
• Main applications of HR-MAS NMR in food science.
• New trends in HR-MAS NMR applications in food science.

The development and the application of analytical methods in food science has grown in order to meet the increase in consumer demand. Spectroscopic techniques played a distinctive role among the tools used in food analysis [e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy]. High-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) is an important NMR tool that combines advantages of solid and liquid NMR techniques, offering opportunity to measure intact tissues. The small number of papers in the literature shows that the application of HR-MAS NMR in food analysis is still underexplored. Few kinds of matrix have been analyzed – mainly meat, cheese, grains, spices, fruit and vegetables – to identify compounds, to assign metabolic profiles and to elucidate physical features of macromolecular aggregation. This review presents a comprehensive survey of several HR-MAS NMR applications in foodstuff analysis, highlighting the main methodological aspects.