Performance Tested Method multiple laboratory validation study of ELISA-based assays for the detection of peanuts in food

Performance Tested Method multiple laboratory validations for the detection of peanut protein in 4 different food matrixes were conducted under the auspices of the AOAC Research Institute. In this blind study, 3 commercially available ELISA test kits were validated: Neogen Veratox for Peanut, R-Biopharm RIDASCREEN FAST Peanut, and Tepnel BioKits for Peanut Assay. The food matrixes used were breakfast cereal, cookies, ice cream, and milk chocolate spiked at 0 and 5 ppm peanut. Analyses of the samples were conducted by laboratories representing industry and international and U.S governmental agencies. All 3 commercial test kits successfully identified spiked and peanut-free samples. The validation study required 60 analyses on test samples at the target level 5 microg peanut/g food and 60 analyses at a peanut-free level, which was designed to ensure that the lower 95% confidence limit for the sensitivity and specificity would not be <90%. The probability that a test sample contains an allergen given a prevalence rate of 5% and a positive test result using a single test kit analysis with 95% sensitivity and 95% specificity, which was demonstrated for these test kits, would be 50%. When 2 test kits are run simultaneously on all samples, the probability becomes 95%. It is therefore recommended that all field samples be analyzed with at least 2 of the validated kits.     

Rapid determination of trace semicarbazide in flour products by high‐performance liquid chromatography based on a nucleophilic substitution reaction

Semicarbazide, a toxic food contaminant, widely exists in food products and it originates from the thermal degradation of a food additive of azodicarbonamide or a metabolite of nitrofurazone abused in meat specimens. Many previous methods for semicarbazide determination usually required expensive instruments, difficult‐to‐prepare monoclonal antibodies, and a long operation time. In this study, a high‐performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the rapid determination of trace semicarbazide coupling with a nucleophilic substitution reaction firstly using 4‐nitrobenzoyl chloride as derivatization reagent. The derivatization reaction was mild at room temperature for 1 min in neutral solution. Then, semicarbazide derivative was separated and quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection under optimal separation conditions at λ _max = 261 nm. The proposed method offered the detection limit of 1.8 μg/L and was successfully applied for the rapid determination of trace semicarbazide in flour products. Semicarbazide in positive real samples could be actually found and quantified in the range of 0.47−7.53 mg/kg. The recoveries were 76.6−119% with relative standard deviations of 0.5–9.1% (n = 3). This developed method was rapid, reliable, and convenient for the determination of trace semicarbazide in food.     

A novel method for the determination of synthetic colors in ice cream samples

A simple method has been developed for the extraction, separation, and determination of synthetic colors in ice cream samples. The process involves the breakdown of emulsion by neutral detergents (Triton X-100 and Tween 20) followed by extraction with petroleum ether for removal of fat. The aqueous colored solution obtained is treated with 5% acetic acid, and the uptake of color is carried out by a wool-dyeing technique. The color is eluted from the wool with 5% ammonia solution, the solution is evaporated to dryness, and the residue is dissolved in 60% ethanol for paper chromatography using trisodium citrate-ammonia-water (2 + 5 + 95, w/v/v) as the mobile phase. The colored spots from the paper chromatogram are cut and eluted with 60% ethanol, and the absorbance is measured at the respective lambda maximum corresponding to the Rf value of the appropriate standard. The recoveries of 6 colors, including sunset yellow FCF (SSYFCF), tartrazine, carmoisine, ponceau 4R, brilliant blue FCF (BBFCF), and fast green FCF from spiked samples with either detergent were found to be >90%. However, recoveries of erythrosine were 21 and 65% with Triton X-100 and Tween 20, respectively. Indigo carmine could not be recovered at all because of its fugitive property in 5% ammonia solution, which is used to strip the color from the wool. The sensitivity of the method with the use of Tween 20 is 1 ppm (1 microg/g) for the colors in spiked ice cream samples. With this method, we analyzed samples of 20 branded colored ice cream. The results showed the presence of tartrazine (8.4-43.3 ppm), SSYFCF (23.5-117.6 ppm), carmoisine (traces-53.2 ppm), erythrosine (3.5 ppm), and BBFCF (4.1 ppm) in the ice cream samples. Apart from 2 samples of tuttifruity, all of the ice cream samples showed the presence of permitted synthetic colors below the permissible level of 100 ppm established by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of India.     

LC/MS method using cloud point extraction for the determination of permitted and illegal food colors in liquid, semiliquid, and solid food matrixes: single-laboratory validation

A cloud point extraction method is reported using LC/MS for the determination of regulated water-soluble food colors (Allura Red, Sunset Yellow, erythrosine, and tartrazine) and banned fat-soluble synthetic azo dyes (Sudan I, II, III, and IV; Red B; 7B; Black B; Red G; Metanil Yellow; and Rhodamine B). The extraction of all 14 colors was carried out with cloud point extraction using the nonionic surfactant Triton X 114. Optimized conditions for cloud point extraction were 3% Triton X 114 (w/v), 0.1 M ammonium acetate, and heating at 50 degrees C for 30 min. This approach proved effective in giving quantitative recoveries from a diverse range of food matrixes, and optimized LC gave baseline chromatographic separation for all colors including Sudan IV and Red B. Single-laboratory validation was performed with spiking into liquid matrixes (wine and homemade wine), semiliquid matrixes (sauce and homemade paprika paste), and solid matrixes (spice and homemade chili powder) using the respective blank matrixes for matrix-matched calibration. The LOQ values for water-soluble colors were in the range of 15-150 mg/kg, and for the fat-soluble colors, 0.1-1.5 mg/kg. The mean recovery values were in the range of 69.6-116.0% (except Allura Red and Sunset Yellow in wine, for which recoveries were lower). The mean RSDs for colors were in the range of 4.0-14.8%. A small survey was conducted of samples of confectionery products, dried fruits, wines, bitter sodas, juices, sauces, pastes, and spices, which demonstrated the applicability of the method to a diverse selection of real food samples. Allura Red was detected in strawberry jelly and Sunset Yellow in artificial saffron.     

Immunochemical-based method for detection of hazelnut proteins in processed foods

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to detect hazelnut by using polyclonal antibodies generated against a protein extract of roasted hazelnut. No cross-reactivity was observed in tests against 39 commodities, including many common allergens, tree nuts, and legumes. Hazelnut protein standard solutions at 0.45 ng/mL [inhibition concentration (IC80) of the competitive test] were clearly identified by the ELISA. An extraction and quantification method was developed and optimized for chocolate, cookies, breakfast cereals, and ice cream, major food commodities likely to be cross-contaminated with undeclared hazelnut during food processing. No sample cleanup was required when extracts were diluted 10-fold. Recovery results were generated with blank matrixes spiked at 4 levels from 1 to 10 microg/g hazelnut protein. With the developed extraction and sample handling procedure, hazelnut proteins were recovered at 64-83% from chocolate and at 78-97% from other matrixes. A confirmatory technique was developed with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western transfer. The developed methods were applied to a small market survey of chocolate products and allowed the identification of undeclared hazelnut in these products.     

Simultaneous determination of 24 sulfonamide residues in meat by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The present study used the liquid extraction pretreatment method and developed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for the simultaneous determination of 24 kinds of sulfonamide residues in meat. The meat samples were homogenized, extracted and deproteinized by acetonitrile, defatted by n-hexane, and further liquid-liquid extracted by ethyl acetate. All of 24 sulfonamide residues were simultaneously separated and determined by UPLC-MS/MS within 15 min. The sulfonamide residues were monitored via the ESI(+) ionization method and quantified by six-channel multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The calibrations were performed in sample matrixes by the isotope dilution method and the interference effect of sample matrixes on the ionization was effectively eliminated. Good linear relationship (R(2)=0.991-0.999) was observed within the concentration range of 0.2-50 microg/kg. Satisfied recoveries (67.8-113.9%) of all the sulfonamides were demonstrated in different standard-spiked levels except sulfanitran (SNT). The analytical category, separation speed, selectivity, sensitivity and repeatability of sulfonamides using UPLC-MS/MS were significantly improved compared to other analytical methods. Quantitative results of 240 meat samples demonstrated that the present method has a convenient operation and good practicability, which can be applied to the quantitative analysis of a large number of samples.     

分散固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱法测定含油脂食品中17种邻苯二甲酸酯

建立了含油脂食品中17种邻苯二甲酸酯的分散固相萃取-气相色谱-质谱法检测方法。奶茶样品经乙腈-甲基叔丁基醚(9∶1,V/V)提取后,提取液用MAS-PAEC分散固相萃取管进行净化。调味包样品经乙腈(正己烷饱和)-甲基叔丁基醚(19∶1,V/V)提取2次后,提取液用CNW分散固相萃取管进行净化。采用基质匹配标准外标法进行定量分析。结果表明,奶茶中17种邻苯二甲酸酯的加标回收率为82.2%～125.4%;相对标准偏差小于16.5%;方法检出限为100～200μg/L。调味包中17种邻苯二甲酸酯的加标回收率为70.9%～115.5%;相对标准偏差小于9.8%;方法检出限为400～800μg/L。本方法快速、精确、简易、廉价、稳定,可应用于含油脂食品中17种邻苯二甲酸酯的实际检测分析。     

Development and single-laboratory validation of a reversed-phase liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry method for identification and determination of acrylamide in foods

A rapid and accurate method using reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry interfaced with electrospray was developed for determination of acrylamide in cooked food samples. A simplified sample treatment procedure using an extraction step with acidified water without cleanup was developed. A C18 column with an aqueous formic acid-methanol mixture as the mobile phase was used under isocratic conditions. The method was validated in-house for robustness, limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ), linearity, recovery, and accuracy both on standard and baked-product and potato flour matrixes. Good results in the low ppb level were obtained for LOD (< 15 microg/kg) and LOQ (< 25 microg/kg) of acrylamide in samples. Excellent linearity (r2 = 0.999-1.000) was established over 2 orders of magnitude by performing statistical tests. The absence of both constant and proportional systematic errors demonstrated good method accuracy. Excellent results were obtained for intraday repeatability (RSD < 1.5%) and between-day precision (RSD < 5%). Extraction recoveries from food products were calculated in the 97 +/- 3-99 +/- 2% (n = 6) range with a labeled internal standard (13C3-acrylamide). The applicability of the method to determination of acrylamide in cooked food products was demonstrated.     

Rapid method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in fish muscle samples by microwave-assisted extraction and analysis of extracts by GC-ECD

A procedure for the multiresidue determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in fish muscle samples has been developed. The method is based on the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of food samples from an acetonitrile-water (95 + 5, v/v) mixture followed by SPE cleanup of the extracts and analysis by GC with an electron capture detector. MAE operational parameters, such as the extraction solvent, temperature, and time, were optimized with respect to the extraction efficiency of the target compounds from food samples with 10-13% fat content. The chosen extraction technique allows reduction of the solvent consumption and extraction time when compared with methods already used. Acetonitrile is a good extraction solvent for low-fat matrixes (2-20% fat content), such as fish samples, because it does not significantly dissolve the highly polar proteins, salts, and sugars commonly found in food and gives high recoveries of a wide polarity range of analytes. For purification, SPE using LC-Florisil was shown to be sufficient for the removal of coextracted substances. Recoveries > 78% with RSD values < 15% were obtained for all compounds under the selected conditions. Method quantification limits were in the 5-10 microg/kg range. The method was applied to the analysis of samples of herring (Clupea harengus) purchased at the local fish market. The method is rapid and reliable for the determination of organochlorine analytes in fish muscle.     

离子对色谱法测定化妆品中的苯酚磺酸锌

建立了离子对色谱测定不同基质化妆品中苯酚磺酸锌的分析方法。水剂类和香波类化妆品用20%乙腈水溶液提取,膏霜类和散粉类用80%乙腈水溶液提取,唇膏类加四氢呋喃并用80%乙腈水溶液提取,提取液离心、过滤处理。以四丁基氢氧化铵为离子对试剂,考察了苯酚磺酸锌在离子对色谱中的保留行为并优化了最佳色谱条件:以Kromasil C18(4.6 mm×250 mm,5μm)色谱柱分离,流动相为5 mmol/L四丁基氢氧化铵+25 mmol/L磷酸二氢钠缓冲溶液(pH 2.5)-乙腈(80∶20),等度洗脱,流速1.0 mL/min,柱温30℃,检测波长230 nm。该方法对苯酚磺酸锌的定量下限为:水剂和香波基质中为24 mg/kg、膏霜和唇膏基质中为120 mg/kg、散粉基质中为60 mg/kg,在0.5～50 mg/L范围内,苯酚磺酸锌的线性关系良好,相关系数为0.999 8。在低、中、高3个加标水平下,苯酚磺酸锌的平均回收率为94%～99%,相对标准偏差为0.57%～3.9%。该方法快速、简便、准确,可用于化妆品中苯酚磺酸锌的测定。     

Determination of dodine in fruit samples by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive LC/electrospray ionization-MS/MS method has been developed for the determination of dodine in fruit samples. Based on a liquid-liquid extraction of 10 g solid fruit homogenate using an acetone-dichloromethane-hexane mixture and acetate ammonium buffer (pH 4.5), this LC/MS/MS procedure was characterized by recoveries above 50%, with good intra-assay precision (RSD < 13%) and interassay precision (RSD < 18%) for seven different matrixes (apple, apricot, cherry, peach, pear, plum, and quince). This method was validated from 5 to 500 microg/kg according to standard guidelines. Its LOD (1 microg/kg) and LOQ (5 microg/kg) were in accordance with recommendations of the European legislation defined for infant food [maximum residue level (MRL) = 10 microg/kg]. The whole procedure was finally tested on 1022 fruit samples intended for commercialization, both infant food samples and samples not intended in particular for babies. In this study, dodine was detected in 27 samples; none exhibited a concentration higher than the MRL.     

Determination of tetracycline antibiotics in fatty food samples by selective pressurized liquid extraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry

For the determination of trace residues of tetracycline antibiotics in fatty food samples, selective pressurized liquid extraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was applied in this study. Copper(II) isonicotinate was first used as online cleanup adsorbent in the selective pressurized liquid extraction process. The adsorbent to sample ratio, extraction temperature, extraction time, and recycle times, etc. were optimized. The tetracyclines in food samples of pork, chicken meat, and clam meat were detected by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Tetracycline was found at levels of 0.32 and 0.53 μg/g and oxytetracycline was found at 0.14 and 0.21 μg/g in chicken meat and clam meat, respectively, while chlorotetracycline and deoxytetracycline were below the detection limit. The detection limit (S/N = 3) for these four tetracyclines were from 0.2 to 3.3 ng/g, the recoveries were from 75.8 to 110.5%, and relative standard deviations were from 5.5 to 13.6%. Copper(II) isonicotinate showed a higher purification capacity than other cleanup adsorbents for extraction of antibiotics in fatty food and the recovery showed predominance compared with a pressurized liquid extraction method without adsorbent. The study demonstrated that copper(II) isonicotinate would be a promising cleanup adsorbent in pressurized liquid extraction for the analysis of trace organic pollutants in complicated samples.     

Determination of fumonisins B1 and B2 in various maize products by a combined SAX + C18 column and immunoaffinity column

Fumonisins B1 and B2 were determined in 42 samples of different maize products from the Swedish market by 2 different methods based on cleanup steps using an immunoaffinity column and a combination of SAX + C18 columns, respectively. A simple "precipitation step" was included before the samples were added to the main column(s), giving less column clogging, fewer interfering peaks, and better recoveries for the different sample matrixes. Recovery, repeatability, and results from the survey showed comparable results with the methods. The limit of detection for both methods was 5 micrograms/kg for fumonisin B1 and 10 micrograms/kg for fumonisin B2. All 7 maize chips analyzed and 6 of 8 popcorn samples contained fumonisins (B1 + B2) with averages of 180 and 115 micrograms/kg, respectively. All other samples except a maize flour sample contained little or no fumonisins.     

Determination of primary and secondary amines in foodstuffs using gas chromatography and chemiluminescence detection with a modified thermal energy analyser

A simple method is described for the determination of primary and secondary amines in foodstuffs by gas chromatography with a modified thermal energy analyser, operated in the nitrogen mode. Food samples were subjected to mineral oil vacuum distillation and the isolated amines were derivatized with benzenesulphonyl chloride to form the corresponding sulphonamides, which were fractionated to yield primary and secondary amine derivatives using a modified Hinsberg procedure. The detection limit for individual amines using a 10-g food sample was 10 micrograms/kg (ppb) and recoveries were in excess of 80%.     

Determination of free and reversibly-bound sulfite in selected foods by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection

A rapid and accurate method for measuring low part-per-million levels of free and reversibly-bound sulfites in selected foods by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorometric detection was developed. Sulfites were extracted with sodium tetrachloromercurate solution and determined by HPLC-fluorescence spectrometry. During the HPLC analysis, the sample extract was reacted with sodium hydroxide to liberate the reversibly-bound sulfite and subsequently separated from other interferences by a size exclusion column. The effluent was then reacted with o-phthalaldehydelammonium chloride reagent to form a fluorescing 1-sulfonatoisoindole derivative and analyzed by a fluorescence detector. The method has been applied to a variety of foods and food products, with no significant interference encountered in matrixes such as soy products, cabbage, broccoli, brassica, ginger, fungus, mushroom, mandarin peel, potato chips, and biscuits. It was shown to have a broad linear range of 0.01 to 0.4 mg/L as SO2. The spike recoveries of sodium sulfite, sodium metabisulfite, and formaldehyde-sodium bisulfite adduct at the 5 to 10 mg/kg level in the tested food matrix were within 80-120%, and the limit of detection was 5 mg/kg. Laboratory of Government Chemist Reference Material LGC7111 (potato powder) was used to assess the accuracy of the method. The expanded measurement uncertainty of the method at 95% confidence level was estimated to be 17%.     

HPLC-MS/MS检测含蛋白质辐照食品中的邻酪氨酸

应用液相色谱-串联质谱(HPLC- MS/MS )技术建立了含蛋白质辐照食品中邻酪氨酸的检测方法.样品经胰蛋白酶于37℃水解过夜,正己烷去脂,乙酸锌沉淀蛋白净化后,HPLC-MS/MS检测.方法的定量下限为0.1 mg/kg,邻酪氨酸在0.1,0.5,1.0 mg/kg加标水平的回收率为80%-97%,相对标准偏差(R...     

固相萃取-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定乳粉和果冻中的氯化胆碱

建立了固相萃取-超高效液相色谱-串联质谱测定乳粉和果冻中氯化胆碱的分析方法。样品在10 mL 0.02mol/L乙酸铵溶液(冰乙酸调节pH至3.0)中水解3 h后离心,上清液经DIKMA ProElut PLS固相萃取柱(60 mg/3 mL)净化后,用Agilent ZORBAX 300 SCX色谱柱(150 mm×2.1 mm,5μm)进行分离,通过电喷雾正离子(ESI~+)模式电离,多反应监测(MRM)模式进行定性和定量分析。方法的检出限(LOD,S/N=3)和定量限(LOQ,S/N=10)分别为0.15 mg/kg和0.50 mg/kg,加标回收率为70.8%~100.2%,相对标准偏差(RSD)均不大于6.83%(n=6)。目标化合物在0.05~8.0 mg/L范围内线性关系良好,线性方程为Y=2.05×10~5X+3.24×10~4,相关系数(r)为0.996。对市售乳粉和果冻中的氯化胆碱进行检测,结果表明,乳粉和果冻中氯化胆碱的含量分别为251.0~2 448 mg/kg和0.261~0.314 mg/kg。该法准确可靠、灵敏度高,适用于乳粉和果冻中氯化胆碱的测定。     

植物源食品中6种三唑类杀菌剂残留量的气相色谱法测定

建立了同时测定6种三唑类杀菌剂(四氟醚唑、戊菌唑、氟菌唑、己唑醇、丙环唑、氟环唑)残留量的气相色谱方法.植物源食品采用乙腈溶剂提取,无水硫酸镁、氯化钠盐析,经弗罗里硅土固相萃取柱净化后,用气相色谱/电子捕获检测器(GC/ECD)测定.结果表明:6种三唑类杀菌剂在0.01 ～0.5 mg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.996,样品添加水平为0.05 ～0.20 mg/kg时的平均加标回收率为87% ～110%,相对标准偏差为3.0% ～5.6%,方法的检出限为0.002 ～0.007 mg/kg.该方法可同时满足植物源食品中多种三唑类杀菌剂残留量的检测需要.     

Simultaneous determination of eight synthetic permitted and five commonly encountered nonpermitted food colors in various food matrixes by high-performance liquid chromatography

A simple and sensitive HPLC method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of eight permitted food colors and five commonly encountered nonpermitted colors in various food commodities, including sugar-, fat-, and starch-based food matrixes. The method uses a specific food category-based cleanup/treatment procedure before color extraction to avoid the interference of food matrixes, and to obtain the optimal color extraction. Analysis was performed on a reversed-phase C18 micro-Bondapak column with ammonium acetate and acetonitrile gradient elution as the mobile phase; a programmable lamda max-specific visible detection was used to monitor colors to obtain the higher sensitivity and expanded scope needed for multicolor blends having diverse absorption maxima. All colors showed good linearity, with regression coefficients of 0.9974-0.9999. The LOD and LOQ values ranged from 0.01 to 0.12 mg/L, and from 0.04 to 0.83 mg/L or mg/kg, respectively. The intraday and interday precision tests produced good RSD values, and the recoveries from different food matrixes ranged from 82 to 104%. The method offers high sensitivity for analysis of a wide variety of food matrixes containing a broad scope of multicolor blends. Two nonpermitted colors, orange II and metanil yellow, were found. Also, a number of samples contained permitted colors at levels two- to seven-fold higher than those prescribed.     

Rapid and sensitive ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry for the quantification of amitraz and identification of its degradation products in fruits

Liquid chromatography under high pressure in combination with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QqTOF-MS and MS/MS) has been used to detect amitraz degradation products in pears, to characterize their structures, and to evaluate their occurrences in samples of different origins. Using the proposed approach, the parent pesticide and four degradation products were identified. To this end, pear samples were extracted with ethyl acetate and anhydrous sodium sulphate. Amitraz was found to be rapidly decomposed into four related compounds, of which N-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)formamidine (DMPF) was the most abundant and persistent. N,N'-bisdimethylphenylformamidine (BDMPF), 2,4-dimethylformamidine (DMF) and 2,4-dimethyl aniline (DMA) were also main metabolites of amitraz. To our knowledge this is the first report that confirms the presence of BDMPF in pears. The method was validated using MS and MS/MS for those standard available (analytical or not). In MS, recoveries ranged from 83 to 101% with relative standard deviation (RSD) from 9 to 19% at the limit of quantification (LOQ) (between 5 and 20 microg kg(-1)). Using MS/MS, recoveries, linearity and precision were similar but LOQs were higher because the intense fragmentation of the protonated molecules in the product mass spectrum. BDMPF, as an approximation, was quantified based on the DMF metabolite. The results demonstrated that high-pressure LC-QqTOF-MS and MS/MS techniques enhance further the capabilities of LC-MS in the identification of polar species in complex food samples.