[Formation of IQ-compounds in meat and meat products]

During meat processing mutagenic imidazoquinolines and imidazoquinoxalines ("IQ-compounds") may be formed by Maillard reaction of reducing sugars, amino acids, and creatine/creatinine. IQ-compounds isolated from low-moisture model systems and meat extract by liquid-liquid-distribution were fractionated on a cation exchanger and separated on an RP phase. After acetylation the separated compounds were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry based on their characteristic mass fragment ions. During heating the model systems at 100 degrees C the formation of IQ-compounds begins and greatly increases by further raising the temperature. In different amounts IQ-compounds could also be detected in commercially available meat extracts.