Determination of 3 monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-Dichloropropan-2-ol (1,3-DCP) levels in edible vegetable oils: A health risk assessment for Iranian consumers

Abstract

As food toxicants, 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-Dichloropropan-2-ol (1,3-DCP) are potentially carcinogenic and/or genotoxic chemicals formed during high-temperature refining of vegetable oils. We examined 45 edible vegetable oil samples (i.e. sunflower, rapeseed, corn, olive, and sesame oils) randomly collected from Iran market (3 batches × 3 brands × 5 types of vegetable oils = 45 samples) for the presence of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP by chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Our results showed statistically significant associations between the mean concentration of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP and the type of vegetable oils, while no significant differences in either chloropropanol mean level among the brands were found. Sesame and corn oils had respectively the highest and lowest mean concentration of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP. Based on the probabilistic scenario, Hazard Index (HI) values calculated for 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP levels indicated no major risk (HI < 1.0) to Iranian consumers. Nonetheless, to protect the consumers, understanding the dynamics of processes that contribute to contaminants' formation, providing online real-time methods for monitoring reactions that lead to their production, developing new technologies to mitigate the occurrence of such chemicals while maintaining food safety and sensory properties, seem necessary.