Determination of acrylamide in dried fruits and edible seeds using QuEChERS extraction and LC separation with MS detection

• Acrylamide, a toxic process contaminant generated during heat treatment of food.
• QuEChERS approach was for the first time optimized for dried fruits and edible seeds.
• 68 samples of dried fruits and edible seeds purchased on Italian market were tested.
• Method linearity, sensitivity, matrix effect, accuracy, and precision were evaluated.
• Dried prunes and peanuts were the only samples contaminated with acrylamide.

Acrylamide is a carcinogenic and neurotoxic process contaminant that is generated from food components during heat treatment, while it is absent in raw foodstuffs. Its level in food arouses great concern. A method for acrylamide extraction and determination in dried fruits (dried prunes and raisins) and edible seeds (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts) using a QuEChERS-LC-ESI-MS-Triple Quadrupole approach was set up. Linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the method were satisfactory.Dried prunes and peanuts were the only samples appreciably contaminated, 14.7–124.3 and 10.0–42.9 μg/kg, respectively, as a consequence of the drying process. In fact, prunes are dried at 70–80 °C for a quite long time (24–36 h), while peanuts undergo a roasting process at 160–180 °C for 25–30 min.The relative standard deviations, accuracy, LOD, and LOQ show that the method provides a reliable approach to acrylamide determination in different matrices.