Determination of acrylamide in dried fruits and edible seeds using QuEChERS extraction and LC separation with MS detection

Acrylamide is a carcinogenic and neurotoxic process contaminant that is generated from food components during heat treatment, while it is absent in raw foodstuffs. Its level in food arouses great concern. A method for acrylamide extraction and determination in dried fruits (dried prunes and raisins) and edible seeds (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts) using a QuEChERS-LC-ESI-MS-Triple Quadrupole approach was set up. Linearity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the method were satisfactory. Dried prunes and peanuts were the only samples appreciably contaminated, 14.7-124.3 and 10.0-42.9 mu g/kg, respectively, as a consequence of the drying process. In fact, prunes are dried at 70-80 degrees C for a quite long time (24-36 h), while peanuts undergo a roasting process at 160-180 degrees C for 25-30 min. The relative standard deviations, accuracy, LOD, and LOQ show that the method provides a reliable approach to acrylamide determination in different matrices. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.