Occurrence of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters in human breast milk

Jan Velisek (1) , Zuzana Zelinkova (2) , Ondrej Novotny (2) , Jakub Schurek (3) , Jana Hajslova (2) , Marek Dolezal (4)

1 Food Chemistry and Analysis
2 Food Chemistry and Analysis
3 Food Chemistry and Analysis
4 Food Chemistry and Analysis

A series of twelve breast milks was analysed by GC/MS operated in SIM mode for 3-chloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD). While none of samples contained free 3-MCPD at the level exceeding the method detection limit of (3 Μg/kg milk), all of them contained high amount of 3-MCPD esterified with higher fatty acids. The levels of 3-MCPD released by hydrolysis of these esters (bound 3-MCPD) ranged from the limit of detection (300 Μg/kg, expressed on fat basis) to 2195 μg/kg; the mean level of this bound contaminant was 1014 μg/kg, which corresponds to 35.5 μg/kg milk. The presence of bound 3-MCPD was confirmed using GC≥GC-TOF MS analysis in four randomly selected breast milk samples. Six breast milks collected from one of the nursing mothers 14-76 days after childbirth contained bound 3-MCPD within the range of 328-2078 μg/kg fat (mean 930 μg/kg fat). The calculated bound 3-MCPD content of these samples was within the range of 6 μg/kg milk and 19 μg/kg milk (mean 12 μg/kg milk). The major types of 3-MCPD esters were the symmetric diesters with lauric, palmitic, and oleic acids and asymmetric diesters with palmitic acid/oleic acid among which 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol 1,2-dioleate prevailed.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Jan Velisek, Zuzana Zelinkova, Ondrej Novotny, Jakub Schurek, Jana Hajslova, et al.. Occurrence of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters in human breast milk. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2008, 25 (06), pp.669-676. ⟨10.1080/02652030701799375⟩. ⟨hal-00577417⟩