m-Xylylenediamine determination in the official EU aqueous food simulants

European Union directive 90/128/EEC prescribes a specific migration limit of 0.05 mg/kg for the aliphatic diamine m-xylylenediamine (m-XDA) into food or food simultants, but there is no generally accepted method of analysis available for compliance testing with the given restriction. A method is described for the determination of m-XDA monomer in the following food simulants: distilled water, 3% (w/v) acetic acid, and 15% (v/v) ethanol. The method is appropriate for the quantitative determination of m-XDA at a minimum level of 0.020 mg/kg in these food simulants. Detection limits are in the range of 0.004 to 0.010 mg m-XDA per kilogram food simulant (depending on the type of food simulant). The method should also be applicable to other aqueous food simulants. m-XDA in aqueous simulant test samples is determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection following derivatization with fluorescamine. Quantitation is relative to external standards. The identity of m-XDA may be confirmed by the presence of a second peak in the chromatograms obtained from samples derivatized with less fluorescamine or by comparison with authentic samples.