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Determination of radiation-induced hydrocarbons in processed food and complex lipid matrices A new solid phase extraction (SPE) method for detection of irradiated components in food

A new solid phase extraction (SPE) method for detection of irradiated components in food

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Abstract

 Detection of irradiated components in processed food with complex lipid matrices can be affected by two problems. First, the processed food may contain only a small amount of the irradiated component, and the radiation-induced hydrocarbons may be diluted throughout the lipid matrix of the whole food. Second, in complex lipid matrices, the detection of prior irradiation is often disturbed by fat-associated compounds. In these cases, common solid phase extraction (SPE) Florisil clean-up alone is inadequate in the detection of prior irradiation. Subsequent SPE argentation chromatography of the Florisil eluate allows the measurement of small amounts of irradiated lipid-containing ingredients in processed food as well as the detection of prior irradiation in complex lipid matrices such as paprika and chilli. SPE argentation chromatography is the first method available for the selective enrichment of radiation-specific hydrocarbons from even complex lipid matrices, thus enabling the detection of irradiation doses as low as 0.025 kGy. Furthermore, by using radiation-induced hydrocarbons in the detection of prior irradiation of paprika and chilli powder, a second independent method, the first being measurement of thermoluminescence, is available for the analysis of these matrices. Such analysis could be achieved by using this highly sensitive, cheap and easy to perform combined SPE Florisil/argentation chromatography method, without the need for sophisticated techniques like SFE-GC/MS or LC-GC/MS, so that highly sensitive detection of prior irradiation could be performed in almost every laboratory.

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Received: 19 February 1996/Revised version: 24 May 1996

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Hartmann, M., Ammon, J. & Berg, H. Determination of radiation-induced hydrocarbons in processed food and complex lipid matrices A new solid phase extraction (SPE) method for detection of irradiated components in food. Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 204, 231–236 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002170050069

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002170050069

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