title: Occurrence of 2-ethylhexanoic acid in foods packed in glass jars.
abstract: After simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE) of commercial baby foods (n = 20) and fruit juices (n = 15) (among them 15 and eight products labelled 'organic', respectively) from 11 different suppliers, analyses performed by coupled capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of 2-ethylhexanoic acid (2-EHA), a known teratogenic compound. 2-EHA was found in 80 and 73% of the baby foods and fruit juices, respectively. Amounts ranged from 0.25 to 3.2 mg kg(-1)(average, 0.55 mg kg(-1)) and from 0.01 to 0.59 mg l(-1) (average, 0.18 mg l(-1)) in baby foods and fruit juices, respectively. GC-MS analysis of the SDE extracts obtained from the plastic gaskets inside the metal lids of the samples under study revealed the gaskets to be the origin of 2-EHA. As shown from the non-contaminated samples under study, obviously technology is available to avoid 2-EHA contamination of glass jar-packed food.
authors.affiliation: Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elss
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grünewald
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richling
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schreier
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D002208:Caproates / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D018857:Food Packaging; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis; D013723:Teratogens / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D013723:Teratogens; C040668:2-ethylhexanoic acid