Modified QuEChERS combined with ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to determine seven biogenic amines in Chinese traditional condiment soy sauce

•A UPLC-MS/MS method was established for 7 BAs determination in soy sauce.•Target BAs can be analyzed by the developed method in 4 min.•Modified QuEChERS technology was used for purification of sample.•The complex soy sauce samples can be favorably purified by the pretreatment.•Satisfactory linearity, recoveries, accuracy and precision were obtained.

A rapid and sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method followed by modified QuEChERS was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven biogenic amines in soy sauce. Samples were firstly diluted by water and pH values of which were adjusted using ammonia water. Modified QuEChERS method was adopted for the purification and 1, 7-heptyldiamine was used as the internal standard. Analysis of seven biogenic amines was within 4 min. Under the optimized conditions, linear relations were favorable over the selected concentration ranges of 3.0-600 μg/L with correlation coefficients greater than 0.999. The average accuracy was between 84% and 115%. Intra- and inter- assay precisions for six replicates ranged from 2.2% to 8.8% or below 12%, respectively. The method limits of detection and the method limits of quantitation were 4-8 μg/kg and 15-30 μg/kg, respectively. The method was successfully applied to determine the concentrations of seven biogenic amines in soy sauces.