---
type: "WebPage"
title: "LC-MS/MS and GC-MS unknown spike analysis (Troubleshooting)"
description: "Your needs: characterize an unknown substance or degradation product in a chemical formulation During its transformation, a product may be exposed to several types of external attacks, some of which alter its initial chemical composition: pollution, leaching, degradation, changes to..."
resource: "https://filab.fr/en/laboratory-mass-spectrometry-unknown-spike-analysis/"
tags: ["EN", "pll_6128d53468b71"]
timestamp: "2026-09-02T14:39:13Z"
published: "2021-08-27T12:06:12Z"
language: "en"
author: "bwa"
---

# LC-MS/MS and GC-MS unknown spike analysis (Troubleshooting)

## Your needs: characterize an unknown substance or degradation product in a chemical formulation

During its transformation, a product may be exposed to several types of external attacks, some of which alter its initial chemical composition: pollution, leaching, degradation, changes to the supplier’s formula, and more…

These non-conformities may affect the product’s initial properties, both in terms of performance and user safety. Regular checks must therefore be carried out, from the receipt of raw materials through to the product’s final validation before it is placed on the market.

These challenges require increasingly sensitive and sophisticated technical analysis, as well as the expertise of a specialist laboratory, in order to rapidly identify the product’s exact composition and determine whether or not it complies with requirements.

## Our solutions: mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS and GC/MS) to determine the content and nature of unknown peaks

### What is MS mass spectrometry?

Thanks to the technical advances made in recent years, mass spectrometry is a method frequently used to meet these requirements for accuracy and sensitivity. It provides both quantitative data (element content) and qualitative data (nature), helping reduce overall analysis times.

Combined with [LC](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatographie_en_phase_liquide) (or HPLC), MS provides higher-quality detection and can analyze unknown peaks or degradation products at very low concentrations and of any type (organic or inorganic).

At FILAB, we have dual MS/MS detection, enabling us to analyze very low concentrations.

### Why FILAB?

With a team of PhD scientists and engineers and [a 5,200 m² analytical facility](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources.md), FILAB laboratory supports industrial clients from all sectors with [identifying the nature of an unknown substance.](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-detection-identification-impurities.md)

By combining chromatography techniques to confirm the presence of an unknown substance with LC-MS/MS or GC/MS, our experts can rapidly identify the nature of unknown peaks and determine their origin: degradation product, [external pollution](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-expertise-services/laboratory-analysis-deposit-contamination.md), [container/content migration](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-expertise-services/laboratory-analysis-container-contents-interactions.md), changes to the supplier’s formula, and more…

To confirm an internal control report or verify an audit result, do not hesitate to contact FILAB for support with these industrial challenges.