Determination of acrylamide in infant cereal-based foods by isotope dilution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Isotope dilution liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was successfully applied to the quantification of acrylamide (2-propene-amide) in infant rice cereals (with nutrients) and other cereal-based foods (fastfood nutrient cake, teething cookie, hi-protein milk wheat and vegetable teething rusk). The method included defatting with petroleum ether, extraction with 2 M aqueous solution of sodium chloride, further liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and clean-up by solid-phase extraction (SPE) with OASIS HLB 6 cc cartridges. Acrylamide was detected with an Atlantis dC18 5 μm; 210 mm × 1.5 mm column using 10% methanol/0.1% formic acid in water as mobile phase. The analytical method in the present study was well validated and good results were obtained with respect to repeatability (R.S.D. < 6.5%) and recovery (87-96%) which fulfilled the requirements defined by European Union (EU) legislation. The acrylamide levels in infant rice cereals and other cereal-based foods were 3.3-37.1 μg kg−1 and 10.9-1568.9 μg kg−1, respectively. This validated method might need to be modified under some special conditions. For instance, an additional deproteinating step should be operated during the sample treatment process as for the analysis of some protein-rich infant cereals.