Determination of residues and contaminants in baby foods marketed in Brazil by UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS: development and validation of methods

Abstract

In recent years, advances in ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) have increased exponentially resulting in a change in traditional chromatographic techniques in the field of food contaminant analysis. Multi-class and multi-residues methods, with minimum sample preparation, and consequently, minimum sample handling and reduction in the use of organic solvents and extraction steps are being used in the determination of various contaminants and residues in baby foods. Mostly made up of fruits, cereals, meats, and milk, baby foods are susceptible to the presence of residues of pesticides, aflatoxins, and contaminants formed during processing. Thus, the occurrence of these compounds in baby foods has attracted the attention of researchers and regulatory authorities worldwide due to the toxicity and vulnerability of this group of consumers, however, until now in Brazil, there is little information in the scientific literature about these residues/contaminants in the food in question. In this context, analytical methods will be developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of residues of pesticides of different chemical classes and mycotoxins; as well as for the determination of acrylamide, a processing contaminant, in commercial and frozen homemade baby foods. For this, techniques for preparing miniaturized samples, aiming at lower consumption of reagents and generation of residues, will be associated with the analytical technique of UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS, to meet the analytical requirements such as selectivity and sensitivity for the analysis of these contaminants in baby foods. (AU)