Headspace solid-phase microextraction and on-fiber derivatization for the determination of 3-/2-MCPDE and GE in breast milk and infant formula by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

The presence of fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPDE), 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol (2-MCPDE) and glycidyl (GE) in foods is a potential concern due to their toxicity, especially for infants. This study proposed a rapid, sensitive and environmentally friendly method for simultaneous determination of the 3-/2-MCPDE and GE in breast milk and infant formula using headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and on-fiber derivatization combined with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The approach proved high sensitivity with detection limits of 0.10 μg/L and 0.15 μg/kg for MCPDEs in breast milk and infant formula, respectively. Mean recoveries were obtained ranging from 79.9 to 111.2% for breast milk and from 82.1 to 106.7% for infant formula, with relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 9.5%. According to the levels of 3-MCPDE and GE determined in 30 breast milk and 23 infant formulas, the exposure to 3-MCPDE and GE may pose a potential health risk for infants from birth to <12 months fed by breast milk and infants from birth to 6 months fed by infant formula.