ORISE Fellow US Food & Drug Administration, United States
Abstract: Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD), 2-monochloro-1,3-propanediol (2-MCPD), and glycidol are process-induced chemical contaminants found in a variety of edible oils and food products containing these oils. Studies have shown these contaminants may be carcinogenic and/or genotoxic, making their presence in foodstuffs a potential health concern. Since 2012, researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have developed methods for the analysis of MCPD and glycidyl esters in a variety of matrices, including edible oils, infant formula, and other processed foods.
Edible oil and infant formula occurrence data collected in our laboratory over the last 7 years have provided evidence of differing 3-MCPD and glycidyl ester concentrations in infant formulas and their corresponding oil ingredients. More specifically, additional studies have shown that the process of infant formula production may result in the destruction/conversion of these fatty acid ester contaminants. To further investigate the impacts of infant formula manufacture on contaminant levels, samples of infant formula were collected at various points during the manufacturing process in order to gain insight into which production step(s) may result in the destruction/conversion of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters. This presentation will outline the design of this study as well as detail the results of the investigation.