HPLC-MS/MS-Detection of Caseins and Whey Proteins in Meat Products

Screening methods for the mass spectrometric detection of caseins and whey proteins in meat products have been developed. After tryptic digestion, two α-S1-casein and two β-lactoglobulin marker peptides were measured by HPLC-MS/MS. For matrix calibrations, emulsion-type sausages with different concentrations of milk and whey protein (ppm level) were produced. The limits of detection (LODs) were below 1 ppm for milk protein and about 3 ppm for whey protein. The determination coefficients for the correlation between peak area of the marker peptides and the concentrations of milk and whey proteins were R2≥0.9899.