| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1242769 | Talanta | 2016 | 13 Pages |
•There is a lack of analytical data regarding preservatives in Brazilian dairy products.•A simple extraction, fast method for the control of preservatives was developed.•Due to the matrix effects, we applied a validation for each matrix.•The method applicability was checked in several cheese and cream samples.•A surprising rate of unconformities was revealed.
In this work, a simplified extraction and short time of analysis method for the simultaneous determination of natamycin, nisin and sorbic acid in cheeses and cream by reverse phase liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry was developed. Full validation was performed according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC criteria and method applicability was checked on several samples, aiming to inspect their compliance with regulatory limits. The method was linear in the concentration ranges of 0–10 mg kg−1 (natamycin), 0–25 mg kg−1 (nisin) and 0 20 mg kg−1 (sorbic acid). Samples of the three most consumed types of cheese (fresh, pasta filata and ripened) in Brazil and cream (ultra high temperature and pasteurized, 20–30% fat content) were assessed. A surprising rate of non-compliance was observed, especially among ripened grated cheeses, since 80% of samples were above the maximum limit for sorbic acid with an average concentration of 2766.3±10.8 mg kg−1. Moreover, a major non-compliance for the cream samples was observed. The proposed method can be applied as an efficient tool for the inspection of preservatives in cheeses and cream.
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