LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF SULFONAMIDES IN FOODS

A procedure for the simultaneous determination of several sulfonamides in different foods, such as honey, milk and eggs is proposed. The analysis is carried out using reversed phase liquid chromatography with spectrophotometric detection. Optimization of the mobile phase led to good separation and a short analysis time when an initial isocratic step with a 3:97 acetonitrile:water mixture was used for 5 minutes, followed by a linear gradient up to a 40:60 mixture over 15 min. The proposed method is suitable for routine quality control analysis to ensure the absence of sulfonamides in foods. Recovery studies yielded good results for all food samples because there were no interferences from the matrices.