A new,direct analytical method using LC-MS/MS for fatty acid esters of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD esters) in edible oils

A new, direct analytical method for the determination of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol fatty acid esters (3-MCPD esters) was developed. The targeted 3-MCPD esters included five types of monoester and 20 types of diester. Samples (oils and fats) were dissolved in a mixture of tert-butyl methyl ether and ethyl acetate (4:1), purified using two solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges (C₁₈ and silica), then analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Five monoesters and five diesters with the same fatty acid group could be separated and quantified. Pairs of 3-MCPD diesters carrying the same two different fatty acid groups, but at reversed positions (sn-1 and sn-2), could not be separated and so were expressed as a sum of both compounds. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were estimated to be between 0.02 to 0.08?mg?kg^?1, depending on the types of 3-MCPD ester. Repeatability expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD_r%) varied from 5.5% to 25.5%. The new method was shown to be applicable to various commercial edible oils and showed levels of 3-MCPD esters varying from 0.58 to 25.35?mg?kg^?1. The levels of mono- and diesters ranged from 0.10 to 0.69?mg?kg^?1 and from 0.06 to 16?mg?kg^?1, respectively.     

Occurrence of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in edible oils in the United States

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) and glycidol are processing contaminants found in a wide range of edible oils. While both 3 MCPD and glycidol have toxicological properties that at present has concerns for food safety, the published occurrence data are limited. Occurrence information is presented for the concentrations of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in 116 retail and/or industrial edible oils and fats using LC-MS/MS analysis of intact esters. The concentrations for bound 3-MCPD ranged from below the limit of quantitation (<LOQ) to 0.09 mg kg^?1 (ppm) in 22 unrefined oils and from 0.005 to 7.2 mg kg^?1 (ppm) in 94 refined oils. The concentrations for bound glycidol ranged from <LOQ to 0.03 mg kg^?1 (ppm) in unrefined oil samples and from <LOQ to 10.5 mg kg^?1 (ppm) in processed oil samples. The highest concentrations for both 3-MCPD and glycidol were seen in refined palm oil and palm olein samples. Palm olein samples also contained a higher percentage of 3-MCPD in mono-ester form than any other type of oil.     

Change of fatty acid esters of MCPD and glycidol during restaurant deep frying of fish nuggets and their correlations with total polar compounds

This study examined the fatty acid esters of 2-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (2-MCPD), 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and glycidyl esters (GEs) in frying oils during fish nuggets deep frying. The 3-MCPD esters significantly increased in the first 12 h and then decreased, whereas 2-MCPD esters increased to a maximum at 24 h (0.69–0.81 mg kg⁻¹) and then decreased. The GEs decreased with frying time and degraded to approximately 0.05 mg kg⁻¹ after 36 h in all frying oils. The correlation results showed that the 3-MCPD esters had a positive correlation with 2-MCPD esters (R = 0.910), so 3-MCPD esters could be an indicator of the presence of MCPD esters in frying oils. Strong correlations were found between MCPD esters and the peroxide values and p-anisidine values, indicating that changes in MCPD esters may be related to oil oxidation. These results may improve our understanding of MCPD esters and GEs in frying oils and find ways to control them during frying.     

Dietary exposure of Hong Kong adults to fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol

A total of 290 individual food samples were collected in Hong Kong, China, for 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters analysis. Most samples were processed food and in ready-to-eat form. The results show that the levels of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters were high in biscuits, fats and oils, snacks and Chinese pastry with mean bound 3-MCPD levels of 440, 390, 270 and 270 μg kg^?1, respectively. The dietary exposures to bound 3-MCPD of average and high adult consumers were estimated to be 0.20 and 0.53 μg kg bw^?1 day^?1, respectively. The primary toxicological concern of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters is its potential to release 3-MCPD in vivo during digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. 3-MCPD would affect the kidney, the central nervous system and the male reproductive system of rats. Assuming that 100% of the 3-MCPD was released from 3-MCPD fatty acid esters by hydrolysis in the digestive system, the dietary exposures to 3-MCPD for average and high adult consumers were only 10% and 26% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 3-MCPD established by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) (2 μg kg bw^?1 day^?1), respectively. The results suggest that both average and high adult consumers are unlikely to experience major toxicological effects of 3-MCPD.     

The comparison of several lipid extraction methods on infant formula for 3-monochloropropanediol esters and glycidyl esters analysis

This study aimed to determine the best lipid extraction method for infant formula; therefore, it can be used as a routine analysis. The samples were some commercial infant formulas in Indonesia. The research was conducted with three steps: (i) Lipid extraction of infant formula using five lipid extraction methods; (ii) 3-monochloropropanediol esters (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE) analysis of lipid extract from three lipid extraction methods in the first step; and (iii) 3-MCPDE and GE analysis of six commercial infant formulas using the best lipid extraction method. The results showed that lipid extraction using the Dubois method gave the best results than other lipid extraction methods. The level of 3-MCPDE and GE also had no significant difference with the addition of NaCl in the Folch method, compared with the addition of Na₂SO₄. The level of 3-MCPDE and GE using the Dubois method was significantly different and higher compared with the other lipid extraction methods. 3-MCPDE and GE levels of commercial infant formula were 6.62–52.84 µg kg⁻¹ and <1.43–17.06 µg kg⁻¹, respectively. The values obtained were still within the standard according to Commission Regulation EU 2018/290 by the European Food Safety Authority (125 µg kg⁻¹ for 3-MCPDE (on progress) and 50 µg kg⁻¹ for GE).     

Glycidyl esters in refined palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil and related fractions. Part II: Practical recommendations for effective mitigation

In a previous work, it was shown that at high temperatures (up to 280 °C) glycidyl esters (GE) are formed from diacylglycerols (DAG) via elimination of free fatty acid (FFA). In the present study, the impact of DAG content and temperature on the formation of GE using a model vacuum system mimicking industrial edible oil deodorization is investigated. These deodorization experiments confirmed that the formation of GE from DAG is extensive at temperatures above 230-240 °C, and therefore, this value should be considered as an upper limit for refining operations. Furthermore, experimental data suggest that the formation of GE accelerates in particular when the DAG levels in refined oils exceed 3-4% of total lipids. Analysis of the lipid composition of crude palm oil (CPO) samples allowed the estimation that this critical DAG content corresponds to about 1.9-2.5% of FFA, which is the conventional quality marker of CPO. Moreover, high levels (>100 ppm) of GE were also found in palm fatty acid distillate samples, which may indicate that the level of GE in fully refined palm oils also depends on the elimination rate of GE into the fatty acid distillate.     

Occurrence of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters in human breast milk

A series of twelve breast milk samples were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) operated in selected ion monitoring mode for 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD). Whilst none of the samples contained 3-MCPD above the limit of detection of 3 μg kg^?1 milk, all contained high amounts of 3-MCPD esterified with higher fatty acids. The levels of 3-MCPD released by hydrolysis of these esters (bound 3-MCPD) ranged from the limit of detection (300 μg kg^?1, expressed on a fat basis) to 2195 μg kg^?1; with a mean level of bound 3-MCPD of 1014 μg kg^?1, which corresponded to 35.5 μg kg^?1 milk. The presence of bound 3-MCPD was confirmed using orthogonal gas chromatography coupled with high-speed time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis for four randomly selected breast milk samples. Six breast milks collected from one of the nursing mothers 14–76 days after childbirth contained bound 3-MCPD within the range of 328–2078 μg kg^?1 fat (mean 930 μg kg^?1 fat). The calculated bound 3-MCPD content of these samples was within the range of 6 and 19 μg kg^?1 milk (mean of 12 μg kg^?1 milk). The major types of 3-MCPD esters were the symmetric diesters with lauric, palmitic, and oleic acids, and asymmetric diesters with palmitic acid/oleic acid among which 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol 1,2-dioleate prevailed.     

婴配食品中氯丙醇酯的污染来源及控制措施

氯丙醇酯类污染物主要形成于植物油精炼过程的脱臭工序,在食品加工过程中其含量也可能会变化。不同种类的油脂中污染物含量水平不同,不同工艺生产的同种油脂中污染水平也有较大差异,通过改善生产工艺可在较大程度上减少该污染物的含量。精炼植物油是婴配食品中脂肪的重要来源,在迚行产品配方设计时,不仅应考虑使其脂肪及脂肪酸在含量与结构上与母乳匹配,还应考虑可能引入的氯丙醇酯类污染物含量水平,尽可能从源头上减少此类污染物的带入。本文通过介绍氯丙醇酯的形成机制、婴配食品中脂肪来源及生产工艺及氯丙醇酯类污染物的主要类型,以确定该污染物的来源,幵提出可采取的延缓措施,从而帮助生产企业从理论和实践水平上控制此类污染物的暴露水平。     

Total lipids content and fatty acid composition of seed oils from six pomegranate cultivars

The fatty acid composition of the seed oils of six pomegranate (Punica granatum L) cultivars was qualitatively and quantitatively determined by gas chromatography. The seeds contained oil in the range 51-152 mg kg^?1 dry matter. Intervarietal differences in fatty acid composition were demonstrated (fatty acid esters as % (w/w) total fatty acid esters. Sour varieties had the highest while sour-sweet varieties had the lowest oil content. Eleven fatty acids were identified. In all varieties, the predominant fatty acids were linoleic (25.2-38.6%) and oleic acid (24.8-35.5%) followed by palmitic (18.2-22.6%), stearic (6.9-10.4%) and linolenic acid (0.6-9.9%). To a lesser extent arachidic (1.1-3.4%) and palmitoleic acid (0.2-2.7%) were also found in all varieties. Lauric, myristic, behenic and lignoceric acids were rarely detected. As far as we know linolenic (18:3), arachidic (20:0), behenic (22:0) or lignoceric (24:0) acids have not been previously reported in the seed oils of edible pomegranate varieties. Lignoceric acid has not previously been found in pomegranate seed oil.     

Fatty acid esters of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) and glycidol in refined edible oils

Recently, fatty acid esters of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) and that of glycidol have been reported in refined edible oils. Since then a wealth of research has been published on the factors influencing the formation of these contaminants in foods. It can be noted that the predominant precursors in a given matrix will not necessarily be the same as in other matrices. Further, proven relationships in the past between precursors responsible for free MCPD or free glycidol formation will not necessarily be valid for their fatty acid-esterified counterparts. This review attempts to summarise the current status of the literature as it pertains to the reasons surrounding the manifestation of MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in oils and fats. Recent efforts to mitigate the levels of these contaminants were highlighted and put into the context of their respective reaction matrices. As more accurate occurrence data for MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in other foods are collected, more targeted mitigation experiments can be formulated with respect to the reaction matrices under investigation.     

Glycidyl esters in refined palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil and related fractions. Part I: Formation mechanism

Glycidyl esters (GE) are process contaminants generated during the deodorisation step of edible oil refining. In particular, GE are found in high abundance in refined palm oil. Palm oil is unique in that it contains a high amount of diacylglycerols (DAG, 4-12%). In the present study, a series of model reactions mimicking palm oil deodorisation has been conducted with pure tri-, di- and mono-acylglycerols (MAG). Results showed that GE are formed from DAG and MAG, but not from TAG, at temperatures (T) above 200 °C. Our observations suggest that GE are formed predominantly by intramolecular elimination of a fatty acid from DAG. In addition, isomers of GE, formed from DAG heated at T > 140 °C, were identified as oxopropyl esters. These new isomers were found to represent approximately 10% of GE levels in refined palm oil. Based on these considerations, the final GE content of palm oil could be limited by reducing DAG levels before oil processing and minimising deodorisation temperatures.     

催化歧化--油脂化工新方法

油脂及不饱和脂肪酸酯的催化歧化及其与烯烃的交叉歧化可以提供多种有用的化工原料和中间体，大大扩展了油脂的应用范围。概述了油脂歧化催化剂的研究进展情况，并展望了其发展前景     

承德市食用植物油中氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯污染水平与暴露风险评估

目的对承德市售食用植物油中氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯进行污染水平分析。方法样品加入适量内标液后,经碱水解脂肪,固相萃取柱脱水净化后,用七氟丁酰基咪唑进行衍生化处理,供气相色谱-质谱仪进样分析。结果在检测的市售的30份植物油样品中,3-氯丙醇酯、2-氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯的检出率为100%、93%(28/30)及83%(25/30)。3-氯丙醇酯及2-氯丙醇酯含量范围分别在0.15～1.06 mg/kg和0.03-0.66 mg/kg,缩水甘油酯含量范围在0.03～1.85 mg/kg。结论氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯污染在承德市食用植物油中广泛存在,检出率在80%以上,这意味着虽然通过食用植物油摄入氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯的健康风险不高,但仍然不能忽视这种风险。检测部门应加大对这两种物质的检测力度,以保障人民的健康安全。     

Effect of different sources of dietary omega‐3 fatty acids on general performance and fatty acid profiles of thigh,breast, liver and portal blood of broilers

One hundred and sixty‐eight 1‐day‐old Cobb broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 12 broiler cages to determine the dietary effect of different sources of oils rich in long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCω3PUFA). The following oils were added to the feed at a concentration of 12.5 g kg^?1: a highly refined seal blubber oil (SBO) containing 225 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA; a fish oil (FO) concentrate containing >800 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA in the form of triglycerides; and an FO concentrate containing >600 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA in the form of ethyl esters. Fatty acid profiles of the breast and thigh meat were measured in order to determine the deposition of LCω3PUFA into the body tissues, whilst fatty acid profiles of the liver and the portal blood were taken in order to deduce consequences of the different ester forms on the absorption process. A triangular sensory evaluation was performed on the breast meat. The levels of LCω3PUFA in all tissues and the portal blood reflected the concentrations of LCω3PUFA in the diets. The sensory properties of the breast meat were negatively influenced by ethyl ester supplementation only. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lipid composition of Bulgarian chokeberry,black currant and rose hip seed oils

The lipid composition of chokeberry, black currant and rose hip seeds was investigated. The seeds contain 19.3 g kg⁻¹, 22.0 g kg⁻¹ and 8.2 g kg⁻¹ glyceride oil respectively. The content of phospholipids, mainly phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine, was 2.8 g kg⁻¹, 1.3 g kg⁻¹ and 1.4 g kg⁻¹, respectively. The total amounts of sterols were 1.2 g kg⁻¹, 1.4 g kg⁻¹ and 0.4 g kg⁻¹. The main component was β-sitosterol, followed by campesterol and Δ⁵ -avenasterol. In the tocopherol fraction (55.5 mg kg⁻¹ in chokeberry oil, 249.6 mg kg⁻¹ in black currant oil and 89.4 mg kg⁻¹ in rose hip oil), α-tocopherol predominated in chokeberry oil (70.6 mg kg⁻¹). γ-Tocopherol was the main component in black currant oil (55.4 mg kg⁻¹) and rose hip oil (71.0 mg kg⁻¹). The fatty acid composition of triacylglycerols, individual phospholipids and sterol esters was also identified. In the phospholipids and sterol esters, the more saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic, stearic, and long chain fatty acids predominated. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Development of an analytical method for the simultaneous analysis of MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in oil-based foodstuffs

Substantial progress has been recently made in the development and optimisation of analytical methods for the quantification of 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in oils and fats, and there are a few methods currently available that allow a reliable quantification of these contaminants in bulk oils and fats. On the other hand, no standard method for the analysis of foodstuffs has yet been established. The aim of this study was the development and validation of a new method for the simultaneous quantification of 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in oil-based food products. The developed protocol includes a first step of liquid–liquid extraction and purification of the lipophilic substances of the sample, followed by the application of a previously developed procedure based on acid transesterification, for the indirect quantification of these contaminants in oils and fats. The method validation was carried out on food products (fat-based spreads, creams, margarine, mayonnaise) manufactured in-house, in order to control the manufacturing process and account for any food matrix–analyte interactions (the sample spiking was carried out on the single components used for the formulations rather than the final products). The method showed good accuracy (the recoveries ranged from 97% to 106% for bound 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD and from 88% to 115% for bound glycidol) and sensitivity (the LOD was 0.04 and 0.05 mg kg^?1 for bound MCPD and glycidol, respectively). Repeatability and reproducibility were satisfactory (RSD below 2% and 5%, respectively) for all analytes. The levels of salts and surface-active compounds in the formulation were found to have no impact on the accuracy and the other parameters of the method.     

气相色谱-质谱联用法测定食用油中3-MCPD脂肪酸酯

本研究在德国油脂科学协会(DGF)标准检测方法的基础上进行方法优化,利用气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)技术,建立了油脂中3-氯-1,2-丙二醇(3-MCPD)脂肪酸酯的分析方法。根据结果可知,该方法线性相关性良好,检出限为0.022 5 mg/kg,定量限为0.076 0 mg/kg,线性范围为0.05~5.0 mg/kg,回收率为95.36%~101.18%,相对标准偏差为1.36%~8.14%。试验中同时利用该方法对7种常见油脂中3-MCPD脂肪酸酯进行了检测。结果表明:该分析方法定性定量准确、灵敏度高、重现性好,能满足油脂中3-MCPD脂肪酸酯分析检测的要求。     

An improved method for the measurement of 3‐monochloropropanediol esters by matrix solid‐phase dispersion supported liquid–liquid extraction

3‐Monochloropropanediol (3‐MCPD) esters are contaminants produced from the high‐temperature processing of edible oils. The accurate measurement of 3‐MCPD using an easy‐to‐follow and reliable method that uses a readily available instrument is important. Here, we report an acid transesterification heptafluorobutyrylimidazole (HFBI) derivatisation method for the accurate measurement of 3‐MCPD esters in edible oils. We developed a dispersed matrix solid‐phase supported liquid–liquid extraction (DMSP‐SLE) system to remove impurities. Both the transesterification and DMSP‐SLE conditions were optimised. A good linear relationship was obtained within the range of 0.05–10 mg kg^?1 (R² ≥ 0.999) in both blank solvent and an oil sample. The limit of detection was 20.36 μg kg^?1. The average recovery of the 3‐MCPD esters spiked at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg kg^?1 into a blank oil matrix was in a range from 105.09 ± 2.77% to 120.16 ± 10.88%. The method we developed was further confirmed by performing detection on a Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS) sample.     

Updated occurrence of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPD) and glycidyl esters in infant formulas purchased in the United States between 2017 and 2019

ABSTRACT

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and glycidol are potentially carcinogenic and/or genotoxic processing contaminants that are formed during the process of edible oil refining. Because of their toxicological properties, the presence of these compounds in refined oils and foods containing these oils, particularly infant formula, poses a potential food safety concern. For this reason, recent research efforts have focussed on the development of methods for the analysis of MCPD and glycidyl esters in infant formula in order to estimate levels of exposure. This work presents occurrence data for 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in 222 infant formulas purchased in the United States between December 2017 and January 2019. The results of this study show a wide range of contaminant concentrations across four different manufacturers, with average bound 3-MCPD concentrations ranging from 0.035 µg g^?1 to 0.63 µg g^?1 and average bound glycidol concentrations ranging from 0.019 µg g^?1 to 0.22 µg g^?1. The data suggest that manufacturers B and C source palm oil produced with mitigation measures, leading to reduced amounts of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in their infant formulas. Additionally, comparison with a previously published study in our laboratory of the occurrence of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in infant formula purchased in the U.S. between 2013 and 2016 revealed that, since 2016, contaminant concentrations have decreased in products produced by manufacturers A, B, and C, while contaminant amounts in formulas from manufacturer D have slightly increased.     

大豆油吸附脱色过程氯离子含量变化及对脱臭油中 3-氯丙醇酯和缩水甘油酯的影响

参照土壤中氯离子检测方法,对常见油脂脱色吸附剂中氯离子的超声提取时间进行优化,并对其氯离子含量进行检测。利用常见的吸附剂对大豆油进行吸附脱色,检测吸附脱色前后油脂中氯离子含量,对不同吸附剂脱色后的油脂进行蒸馏脱臭,检测脱臭油中3-氯丙醇酯(3-MCPD酯)和缩水甘油酯(GEs)含量,分析研究不同吸附剂对油脂吸附脱色过程氯离子含量的影响以及对脱臭油中3-MCPD酯和GEs的影响。结果表明:吸附剂中氯离子的最佳超声提取时间为30 min,10个吸附剂样品中氯离子含量为11. 93～187. 881 mg/kg,差异很大;几种吸附剂在油脂吸附脱色过程对氯离子有不同程度的脱除作用,其中脱除效果最好的YS-900活性炭能使油脂中氯离子含量降低83. 21%。对比未进行吸附脱色处理的大豆油,经吸附脱色的大豆油再经脱臭后3-MCPD酯与GEs生成量均有所降低,并且随吸附过程氯离子降低幅度不同,脱臭油中3-MCPD酯与GEs生成量不同:当脱色油中氯离子含量降幅较小时,经脱臭过程GEs生成量明显低于3-MCPD酯;当脱色油中氯离子含量降幅很大时,经脱臭过程3-MCPD酯的生成量低于GEs。以同时降低脱臭过程3-MCPD酯和GEs的生成量为目标,H-2活性炭作为吸附剂是最好的。