title: Determination of melamine, ammeline, ammelide and cyanuric acid in infant formula purchased in Canada by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based isotope dilution method was developed for the analysis of the triazine compounds melamine (MEL), ammeline (AMN), ammelide (AMD) and cyanuric acid (CYA) in infant formula samples purchased in Canada in 2008 for the purpose of a combined exposure and risk assessment. Infant formula samples were extracted with 1:1 acetonitrile-water, cleaned up on disposable ion-exchange solid-phase extraction cartridges, and analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. MEL and CYA were detected in almost all infant formula products: the highest concentrations observed were 0.32 mg kg(-1) MEL and 0.45 mg kg(-1) CYA. Samples that were relatively high in MEL in this survey tended to be low in CYA, and vice versa. Concentrations of AMN and AMD were very low in all samples. The total of MEL-related compounds (sum of all four analytes) in all samples was below the interim standard of 0.5 mg kg(-1) for infant formula products established by Health Canada.
authors.affiliation: Food Research Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada. eric.braekevelt@hc-sc.gc.ca
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braekevelt
authors.forename: B P-Y
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tittlemier
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination; D005513:Food Inspection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D045730:Soy Foods / Q000032:analysis; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014227:Triazines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D014227:Triazines; C004632:cyanuric acid; C067139:ammelide; C000089:ammeline; C011907:melamine