Determination of Acrylamide in Commercial Baby Foods by LC-QqQ-MS/MS: a Simple Method for Routine Analyses

• Published in: Food analytical methods Vol. 16; no. 8; pp. 1413 - 1421
• Main Authors: Prata, Rafaela, Vargas Pérez, Marta, Petrarca, Mateus Henrique, Teixeira Godoy, Helena, Garrido Frenich, Antonia, Romero-González, Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetonitrile; Acrylamide; Aluminum oxide; Analytical Chemistry; Baby foods; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Coefficient of variation; Food; Food availability; Food Science; Formic acid; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Microbiology; Quadrupoles; Reproducibility; Sample preparation; Solid phases; Sorbents; Heat-induced compound; Processing contaminant; Food analysis; LC-QqQ-MS/MS method; Baby food
• ISSN: 1936-9751; 1936-976X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12161-023-02510-8

A method based on liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the analysis of acrylamide in baby foods. The sample preparation involves a simple extraction process using a mixture of acetonitrile:water:formic acid (69:30:1, v/v/v) in combination with dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) using alumina as sorbent. The method shown good linearity within the range 20–250 μg kg −1 through matrix-matched and solvent calibrations. The recovery rates for acrylamide ranged from 100 to 108% with coefficients of variation below 10%, under repeatability and reproducibility conditions (within-laboratory). The obtained limit of quantification (20 μg kg −1 ) complies with the values indicated by the European Union for acrylamide analysis in baby foods. The developed and validated method was applied to 50 ready-to-eat baby foods available in the Brazilian market. Acrylamide was detected in 13% of samples primarily composed of fruits, whereas it was found in approximately 37% of baby food containing meat and/or vegetables. Additionally, in 2 samples, the detected levels exceeded the benchmark value established by the EU (40 μg kg −1 ). The study showcases the applicability of this method for routine analysis of acrylamide detection.