NMR Testing: An Essential Tool in Research and Development Protocols

Healthy brands and businesses are frequently refining the ingredients and components in their products. A company’s research and development (R&D) team may propose new or enhanced ingredients to a product for several reasons: 

Often products are made up of numerous ingredients sourced from multiple suppliers. This can make it challenging to ensure that each ingredient is of the highest quality and free from adulterants. In the worst of cases, a new, untested ingredient in a product can cause adulteration. If discovered, a recall can occur. Recalls can be major setbacks for any business: they require immediate action and communication may result in an on-going impact to a brand’s reputation.  

For valuable brands, new ingredient testing should be part of all research and development protocols when any product formulation is revised. By investing in this important stage of R&D, brands can ensure the authenticity of all ingredients and formulations and identify the optimal composition of raw ingredients and finished products.  

 In this context, NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) is a valuable tool for R&D.  NMR is a non-targeted analytical technique that uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency radiation to examine the molecular structure and composition of a sample.  It can provide a great deal of information such as:  

It is also a powerful testing method for a few reasons: