The formation of acrylamide was studied in low-moisture Maillard model systems (180 degrees C, 5 min) based on asparagine, reducing sugars, Maillard intermediates, and sugar degradation products. We show evidence that certain glycoconjugates play a major role in acrylamide formation. The N-glycosyl of asparagine generated about 2.4 mmol/mol acrylamide, compared to 0.1-0.2 mmol/mol obtained with alpha-dicarbonyls and the Amadori compound of asparagine. 3-Hydroxypropanamide, the Strecker alcohol of asparagine, generated only low amounts of acrylamide ( approximately 0.23 mmol/mol), while hydroxyacetone increased the acrylamide yields to more than 4 mmol/mol, indicating that alpha-hydroxy carbonyls are much more efficient than alpha-dicarbonyls in converting asparagine into acrylamide. The experimental results are consistent with the reaction mechanism based on (i) a Strecker type degradation of the Schiff base leading to azomethine ylides, followed by (ii) a beta-elimination reaction of the decarboxylated Amadori compound to afford acrylamide. The beta-position on both sides of the nitrogen atom is crucial. Rearrangement of the azomethine ylide to the decarboxylated Amadori compound is the key step, which is favored if the carbonyl moiety contains a hydroxyl group in beta-position to the nitrogen atom. The beta-elimination step in the amino acid moiety was demonstrated by reacting under low moisture conditions decarboxylated model Amadori compounds obtained by synthesis. The corresponding vinylogous compounds were only generated if a beta-proton was available, for example, styrene from the decarboxylated Amadori compound of phenylalanine. Therefore, it is suggested that this thermal pathway may be common to other amino acids, resulting under certain conditions in their respective vinylogous reaction products.

An improved sample preparation (extraction and cleanup) is presented that enables the quantification of low levels of acrylamide in difficult matrixes, including soluble chocolate powder, cocoa, coffee, and coffee surrogate. Final analysis is done by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using d3-acrylamide as internal standard. Sample pretreatment essentially encompasses (a) protein precipitation with Carrez I and II solutions, (b) extraction of the analyte into ethyl acetate, and (c) solid-phase extraction on a Multimode cartridge. The stability of acrylamide in final extracts and in certain commercial foods and beverages is also reported. This approach provided good performance in terms of linearity, accuracy and precision. Full validation was conducted in soluble chocolate powder, achieving a decision limit (CCalpha) and detection capability (CCbeta) of 9.2 and 12.5 microg/kg, respectively. The method was extended to the analysis of acrylamide in various foodstuffs such as mashed potatoes, crisp bread, and butter biscuit and cookies. Furthermore, the accuracy of the method is demonstrated by the results obtained in three inter-laboratory proficiency tests.

An analytical method is reported to determine trace amounts of furan in several different commercial foodstuffs that are subjected to thermal treatment. The SPME-GC-MS method is rapid and robust, and entails the following steps: addition of deuterated furan to the sample, sodium chloride-assisted extraction into the headspace, cryofocussing, and finally fibre desorption and GC-MS analysis. Furan is quantified by the use of an external calibration curve, achieving a decision limit (CC alpha) and detection capability (CC beta) of 17 pg and 43 pg, respectively, as absolute furan concentration in a 10 ml headspace vial. The method is applicable to a wide variety of foods, including fruits juices, baby foods in jars, canned foods, pet food, coffee and coffee substitutes. Typical amounts of furan found in selected foodstuffs range from about 1 microg kg(-1) (fruit juice) to 110 microg kg(-1) (baby food containing cooked vegetables). In-house validation data show good precision and accuracy of the method, with a typical repeatability of between 5 and 16% in different food matrices, and trueness determined in orange juice and coffee as 87 and 93%, respectively. Moreover, the measurement uncertainty has been evaluated for two matrices (fruit juice and coffee). Studies on short-term stability of furan in certain foods are also presented, and show that the furan content decreases in food while heating for preparation or reconstitution.

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The determination of dyes present in illicit pills is shown to be useful and easy-to-get information in strategic and tactical drug intelligence. An analytical strategy including solid-phase extraction (SPE) thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and capillary zone electrophoresis equipped with a diode array detector (CZE-DAD) was developed to identify and quantify 14 hydrosoluble, acidic, synthetic food dyes allowed in the European Community. Indeed, these may be the most susceptible dyes to be found in illicit pills through their availability and easiness of use. The results show (1) that this analytical method is well adapted to small samples such as illicit pills, (2) that most dyes actually found belong to hydrosoluble, acidic, synthetic food dyes allowed in the European Community, and (3) that this evidence turns out to be important in drug intelligence and may be assessed into a Bayesian framework.