Classic/Recommended Methods and Development of new Methods to Control Adulteration and Counterfeits

The control of adulterations and counterfeits requires suitable analytical methods, capable to identify and quantify illicit additions. Methods should be selected according to the objectives: in the first steps fast and simple methods are necessary for the screening, and Thin-Layer Chromatography (or High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography) can be the suitable approaches. To confirm the results obtaining during the screening, advanced techniques (GC/HPLC with different detectors including mass spectrometer) are required for a precise quantification. The reliability of analytical methods is also essential to guarantee the quality of results. Method application to real samples is not always simple due to the complexity of matrix, as for example in food supplements. This chapter illustrates some cases of illicit additions and the analytical approaches used to identify the class of molecules involved.