Single-Laboratory Validation of a Method for the Determination of Furan in Foods by Using Static Headspace Sampling and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of AOAC International Vol. 89; no. 5; pp. 1417 - 1424
• Main Authors: Nyman, P.J, Morehouse, K.M, McNeal, T.P, Perfetti, G.A, Diachenko, G.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.2006
• Subjects: apple juice; capillary gas chromatography; Carcinogens - analysis; Carcinogens - standards; chicken meat; food analysis; Food Analysis - methods; Food Analysis - standards; Food Analysis - statistics & numerical data; food composition; Food Contamination - analysis; Food Contamination - statistics & numerical data; fortified foods; furans; Furans - analysis; Furans - standards; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - methods; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - standards; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - statistics & numerical data; green beans; headspace analysis; infant formulas; linear models; mass spectrometry; peanut butter; poultry products; quantitative analysis; Reference Standards; Reproducibility of Results
• ISSN: 1060-3271; 1944-7922
• DOI: 10.1093/jaoac/89.5.1417

A headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was developed and validated in-house for the determination of furan in foods. The method of standard additions with d4-furan as the internal standard was used to quantitate furan. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values ranged from 0.2 and 0.6 ng/g, respectively, in apple juice to 0.9 and 2.9 ng/g, respectively, in peanut butter. Recoveries were obtained at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ. At 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ, the recoveries ranged from 89.4 to 108%, and the relative standard deviations ranged from 3.3 to 17.3% for all the matrixes. For apple juice, chicken broth, and infant formula, the averaged coefficients of determination from the linear regression analyses were >0.99 with each food fortified at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ. The coefficients of determination were >0.99 for green beans and 0.96 for peanut butter with the foods fortified at 1, 2, and 3 times the LOQ. Within-laboratory precision was determined by comparing the amounts of furan found in 18 samples by 2 analysts on different days with different instruments. For most of the foods, the difference between the amounts found by each analyst was <18%. The method was used to conduct a survey of >300 foods. The furan levels found ranged from none detected to 174 ng/g.