Determination of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) in commercially available meat products and fish by high performance liquid chromatography -: Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS-MS)

Ten heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) (1)-(10) were analyzed in commercially available meat products and fish. After sample preparation by Extrelut treatment and subsequent solid phase extraction applying propyl-sulphonic and C-18 silica cartridges, HPLC-ESI-MS-MS using selected reaction monitoring (SRM) and d(3)-PhIP and d(3)-MeIQx as internal and external standards, respectively, revealed the widely distributed presence of PhIP (8) and MeIQx (4), ranging from 0.1 to 5.3 ng g(-1) and 0.1 to 5.2 ng g(-1), respectively. Lower amounts were found for 4,8-DiMeIQx (5) and 7,8-DiMeIQx (6), ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 ng g(-1) and 0.1 to 0.2 ng g(-1), respectively. The other HAA under study, i.e. IQ, MeIQ, 4,7,8-TriMeIQx, Glu-P-1, and Glu-P-2 were not determinable under the experimental conditions used (determination limit 0.1 ng g(-1)).