Scientific Achievement at the Faculty of Pharmacy: Development of a Modern FTIR-Based Method for Melamine Detection

The International University for Science and Technology has achieved a new research milestone through the publication of a specialized scientific study in the journal Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, a Q1-ranked journal published by Elsevier in the field of molecular spectroscopic analysis.

The study was published under the title:
“A Quantitative Two-Trace Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy (2T2D-COS) Approach for FTIR Spectral Analysis of Melamine-Adulterated Milk Powder”

This research reflects the advanced level of scientific research at the Faculty of Pharmacy, where a modern and highly sensitive spectroscopic analytical method was developed for the detection of melamine in powdered milk using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) available in the university laboratories.

The significance of this study lies in presenting a rapid, practical, and reagent-free approach for detecting food adulteration in milk powder, achieving a very low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.46 ppm, representing an important advancement in food safety and molecular spectroscopic analysis.
The study relied on integrating FTIR spectroscopy with Two-Trace Two-Dimensional Correlation Spectroscopy (2T2D-COS), which significantly enhanced analytical sensitivity and accuracy compared with conventional methods, in addition to establishing a calibration curve for the precise quantitative determination of melamine concentration.

This achievement reflects the International University for Science and Technology’s commitment to supporting applied scientific research and advancing modern analytical techniques that contribute to community service and the food industry, while strengthening the university’s academic and research presence at the international level.