Determination of Eight Volatile Nitrosamines in Meat Products by Ultrasonic Solvent Extraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method

Abstract

In the current study, the volatile nitrosamines (N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosomethylethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine, N-nitrosopiperidine, N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine, N-nitrosodiphenylamine) were detected in 28 selected Chinese meat products. An ultrasonic solvent extraction and gas chromatography mass spectometry analysis using a HP-5MS capillary column probed to be the best method. The concentration of eight volatile nitrosamines showed a good linear relationship and the linear correlation coefficient was above 0.999. The limit of detection of the instrument (IDL) and limit of quantification of the instrument (IQL) was 1.134–9.894 μg/L and 3.779–32.980 μg/L, respectively. The limit of detection of the method (MDL) and limit of quantification of the method (MQL) was 0.057–0.495 μg/kg and 0.189–1.649 μg/kg, respectively. The recovery of the method was 82.575–108.364%. The volatile nitrosamines contents were detected by the current method in 28 selected Chinese meat products. The results showed that the N-nitrosamine levels of Chinese sausages and emulsion sausages were generally higher than that of cooked sausages, and the contents in sausage with garlic flavor were obviously low. The major volatile nitrosamines found in our samples were N-nitrosomethylethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine, and N-nitrosodiphenylamine.