Occurrence of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-Diol (3-MCPD) in canned vegetables: A probabilistic assessment of health risk for Iranian consumers

Abstract

The present study assessed the potential risk to Iranian consumers posed by oral exposure to 3-MCPD in canned vegetables. Ten brands of canned vegetables (i.e. cucumber, pea, sweet corn, pinto bean, lentil, and mixed vegetables) were collected from retail markets in Iran. Overall, 3-MCPD in 180 canned vegetable samples was quantified by chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our findings showed statistically significant associations between 3-MCPD level and the type of canned vegetables as well as significant variations in 3-MCPD mean level among the brands. The highest level of 3-MCPD was measured in pea samples, while pinto beans showed the lowest content. Hazard Index (HI) values calculated based on 3-MCPD levels measured in the collected samples indicated no major risk in both deterministic and probabilistic scenarios (HI values <1.0) and no health risk based on the calculated margin of exposure (MOE) for 3-MCPD to Iranian consumers. Based on the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) sensitivity analysis, the concentration of 3-MCPD was the most influential variable. Nonetheless, industrial policies should maintain reduced 3-MCPD levels in canned foods.