Be sure to check out the May/June 2024 issue of the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL for a First Action method for acrylamide in a broad variety of foods.
Acrylamide is a process contaminant naturally formed during the cooking of starchy foods at high temperatures. Considering existing risks of misquantification inherent to the analysis of acrylamide, a need exists for AOAC consensus standards and Official MethodsSM to determine acrylamide in a broad range of foods.
In the paper, “Determination of Acrylamide in Coffee, Cereals, Baby Food, Cocoa, Dry Pet Food, Potato Products, Vegetable Crisps, Biscuits, Tea, Nuts, and Spices by LC-MS/MS: First Action 2023.01,” by Aude Bebius, Frédérique Reding, Viviane Theurillat, Valérie Leloup, Erik Konings, Thierry Delatour, and Aurélien Desmarchelier, the authors describe a single-laboratory validation (SLV) of a quantitative LC-MS/MS method for determination of acrylamide in food developed by Nestlé. The method was evaluated against AOAC Standard Method Performance Requirement (SMPR®) 2022.006 for acrylamide.
Derived from EN 16618:2015 standard, the method includes modifications to the sample preparation (simplified, potentially automated); scope of application (significantly extended); and LC conditions (improved selectivity). Confirmatory detection of acrylamide is conducted by LC-MS/MS in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode, and isotopic dilution is applied for quantification. Sixteen laboratory samples from nine matrix categories were included in the validation.
SLV results show that the method is fit-for-purpose and applicable to coffee (instant, roast), infant cereal, cocoa powder, pet food (croquettes), tea (green tea), spices (black pepper), and nuts (roasted almonds) with satisfactory recovery and precision. Method applicability was further demonstrated for French fries, potato crisps, vegetable crisps, instant coffee, infant food, and biscuits (cookies) through the analysis of quality control materials and reference materials, with good accuracy. The method acceptably meets AOAC SMPR 2022.006.
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