Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for rapid, sensitive and direct detection of melamine in dairy products

• We describe the use of ESI–MS/MS for melamine.
• This method showed good linearity in the range of 0.5–10.0 μg/mL.
• This method detected melamine in dairy products.
• It avoided extraction and sample pretreatment for melamine detection.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method for detection of melamine in dairy products by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) without any sample preparation is demonstrated. The ESI–MS/MS on the protonated melamine at m/z 127 produced the characteristic fragment ions at m/z 110, 85, 68, 60. This method has a good linearity in the range of 0.5–10.0 μg/mL, with detection limit 0.1 μg/mL and RSD 8.9% (n = 5). Together with existing recent methods on mass spectrometry and NP-based sensing methodologies for melamine detection, the present method provides an efficient platform for detection of melamine in milk products without any sample preparation steps or post-separation procedures.

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