Transfer of primary aromatic amines from coloured paper napkins into four different food matrices and into cold water extracts

The aim of this study was to compare the transfer of primary aromatic amines (PAAs) from napkins into cold water extract (CWE) with transfer into four different food matrices. An HPLC-MS/MS multi-analyte method for quantification of 26 PAAs in CWE was validated and applied. In addition, the method was validated for seven different PAAs in four different food matrices (cucumber, rice, pickled gherkin and butter cookie) representing wet, dry, acidic and fatty food. The CWEs of 12 coloured napkin samples were analysed, and 3 napkins released more than 0.01 mg kg^?1 PAAs into the CWE. These three napkins were chosen for transfer testing with food samples. In total, seven different PAAs were quantified in the food samples. Results show that the transfer of the tested PAAs into the CWE is in most cases comparable to the transfer into the tested food samples. In some cases, the CWE overestimates transfer into food, except for the transfer of aniline into pickled gherkin, where the CWE underestimates transfer. Therefore, the CWE serves as an adequate and certainly not overestimating simulation of reality for the tested transfer of PAAs into the food samples.