DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF CONFIRMATORY METHOD FOR ANALYSIS OF NITROFURAN METABOLITES IN MILK, HONEY, POULTRY MEAT AND FISH BY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY

In this study we have devoloped and validated a confirmatory analysis method for nitrofuran metabolites, which is in accordance with European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC requirements. Nitrofuran metabolites in honey, milk, poultry meat and fish samples were acidic hydrolised followed by derivatisation with nitrobenzaldehyde and liquid-liquid extracted with ethylacetate. The quantitative and confirmative determination of nitrofuran metbolites was performed by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) in the positive ion mode. In-house method validation was performed and reported data of validation (specificity, linearity, recovery, CC alpha and CC beta). The advantage of this method is that it avoids the use of clean-up by Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE). Furthermore, low levels of nitrofuran metabolites are detectable and quantitatively confirmed at a rapid rate in all samples.