Determination of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) in commercially available meat products and fish by high performance liquid chromatography—Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS-MS)

Abstract

Ten heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) (1)–(10) were analyzed in commercially available meat products and fish. After sample preparation by Extrelut treatment and subsequent solid phase extraction applying propylsulphonic and C18 silica cartridges, HPLC-ESI-MS-MS using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) and d3-PhIP and d3-MeIQx as internal and external standards, respectively, revealed the widely distributed presence of PhIP (8) and MeIQx (4), ranging from 0.1 to 5.3 ng g−1 and 0.1 to 5.2 ng g−1, respectively. Lower amounts were found for 4,8-DiMeIQx (5) and 7,8-DiMeIQx (6), ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 ng g−1 and 0.1 to 0.2 ng g−1, respectively. The other HAA under study, i.e. IQ, MeIQ, 4,7,8-TriMeIQx, Glu-P-1, and Glu-P-2 were not determinable under the experimental conditions used (determination limit 0.1 ng g−1).