Quantification of 2-, 3-monochloropropanediol fatty acid esters and glycidyl esters in food emulsifiers by GC-MS/MS: an alternative approach

Mono- and diacylglycerides derived from vegetable oils are commonly used as emulsifiers in various foods, including ice cream and bakery products. Since refined vegetable oils often contain process contaminants, such as monochloropropanediol fatty acid esters and glycidyl fatty acid esters (MCPDEs and GEs), it is expected that these contaminants can also appear in emulsifiers. In this study, a method for the determination of MCPDEs and GEs in emulsifiers was developed and validated using an acid transesterification approach. The method was validated for its accuracy, reproducibility, and repeatability. Additionally, the method was applied to a set of emulsifier samples obtained from a collaborative study that employed an alkaline transesterification approach for the determination of MCPDEs and GEs in food emulsifiers. The results from this study showed excellent agreement with the collaborative study findings. Several commercially available emulsifier products on the market were also analysed for their MCPDE and GE contents, revealing relatively low levels of these contaminants in the products.