Melamine and Cyanuric Acid in Foodstuffs and Pet Food: Method Validation and Sample Screening

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Rita Araújo (Author) FEUP; José Luís Moreira (Author) FEUP; Nuno Ratola (Author) FEUP; Lúcia Santos (Author) FEUP; Arminda Alves (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Analytical Letters

Vol. 45 No. 5-6

Pages: 613-624

ISSN: 0003-2719

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 8 Citations

Scopus - 8 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Chemical sciences

Associated Projects

POPs - Agulhas de Pinheiro como Biomonitores de Poluentes Orgânicos Persistentes Atmosféricos

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-GK6

DOI: 10.1080/00032719.2011.649458

Abstract (EN): Hazardous levels of melamine in food and feed products have been of great concern after the outbreak of contamination reported in Chinese commodities in 2008. Despite the existence of several analytical methods for melamine (MEL) detection in food, few provide a full validation data set, especially when MEL and cyanuric acid (CYA) are analyzed simultaneously. The aim of this study was to validate an analytical methodology for MEL and CYA analysis in foodstuffs by GC-MS after trimethylsilylation with N, O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide. Linearity was obtained in the range of 0.4 to 800 mg/kg for both compounds, with limits of detection (LODs) of 0.15 and 0.05 mg/kg for MEL and CYA, respectively. Screening in 20 food products [3 soya milk powder, 1 baby milk powder, 3 soya powder, 13 diversified cookies and biscuits (8 from China and 2 from Portugal), and 3 dog food) revealed MEL incidence in 55% of the cases, with a maximum concentration of 3.4 mg/kg. CYA was not detected in all samples.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12