Multi-Allergen Quantification in Food Using Concatemer-Based Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry: An Interlaboratory...

Area of Science:

• Food safety and analytical chemistry.
• Development of standardized food allergen detection methods.

Background:

• Accurate food allergen analysis is crucial for risk management and clear labeling.
• Mass spectrometry (MS) is a preferred method for allergen detection, but quantification and interlaboratory harmonization remain challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess mass spectrometry (MS) for detecting and quantifying food allergens.
• To evaluate a standard addition strategy with a stable isotope-labeled (SIL) concatemer as an internal standard in an interlaboratory study.

Main Methods:

• Nine laboratories analyzed cookies incurred with egg, milk, peanut, and hazelnut allergens.
• Methodology included sample preparation and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).
• Quantification utilized standard addition with certified reference materials and a SIL concatemer internal standard.

Main Results:

• Milk, hazelnut, and peanut were detected by all labs, meeting AOAC INTERNATIONAL Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPR® 2016.002).
• Egg detection was challenging due to processing effects, but five labs met sensitivity requirements.
• Over 90% of quantification results demonstrated good method precision, aligning with SMPR® 2016.002.

Conclusions:

• This interlaboratory study demonstrates MS potential for reliable food allergen detection and quantification.
• The findings represent a significant advancement toward harmonizing allergen testing protocols among laboratories.