Orbitrap mass detector: a leap forward in safety standards

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global leader in scientific innovation, has introduced the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris EFOX Mass Detector — the world’s first high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) Orbitrap system created specifically for environmental and food safety testing

This breakthrough marks a major step forward in protecting public health and agricultural sustainability, particularly in monitoring contaminants such as PFAS, pesticides, and other harmful residues in food and water.

The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX (Environmental and Food Organic Xenobiotics) is designed to deliver rapid, reliable results for laboratories that must meet strict safety standards. Traditional high-resolution systems are often adapted from research platforms, but this model is purpose-built for routine testing. It provides the same research-grade precision found in deep protein and small molecule analysis while being simple enough for everyday use. With minimal setup, laboratories can move from sample to result within minutes, maintaining both data quality and high throughput.

“As environmental and food safety laboratories face mounting pressure to deliver faster, more accurate results under tight budgets and stringent regulatory requirements, the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX significantly lightens the workload for PFAS, pesticides and other contaminant testing,” said Lidija Raicevic, vice president and environmental and food safety lead, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Offering an easy-to-use high-resolution mass detector helps ensure more labs can conduct critical full-scan, accurate mass high-resolution data monitoring, provide local testing across more areas of concern and ultimately accelerate quality controls to make our environment and food safer.”

The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX captures complete, high-resolution data from every sample, allowing laboratories to perform retrospective analysis identifying new contaminants without needing to reprocess samples. This feature saves both time and cost while keeping labs ahead of evolving safety regulations.

Built-in workflows for key environmental pollutants streamline compliance and testing, cutting months off method development and reducing operational costs. The system integrates seamlessly with Chromeleon Chromatography Data System (CDS), offering an intuitive interface for data processing and reporting. Combined with the Thermo Scientific Vanquish dual channel UHPLC, users gain greater confidence, flexibility, and productivity.

Alongside the EFOX model, Thermo Fisher continues to support triple quadrupole workflows with the TSQ Altis Plus EFOX MS, tailored for environmental and food applications, reinforcing its leadership in sustainable, safety-driven science.