Direct determination of 3-chloropropanol esters in edible vegetable oils using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS-Orbitrap)

A series of refined edible oils derived from mixed seeds, peanuts, corn, sunflower and palm, obtained from the local supermarket were analyzed for their content of 3-MCPD esters. A direct analytical method for the determination of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol fatty acid esters (3-MCPD esters) was applied to investigate the major MCPD esters found in common edible oils; in particular seven types of monoesters and eleven types of diesters were detected. The LODs for monoesters and diesters of 3-MCPD were in the range of 0.079–12.678 μg kg−1 and 0.033–18.610 μg kg−1 in edible oils, and the ranges of LOQs were 0.979–38.035 μg kg−1 and 0.100–55 μg kg−1, respectively. The recoveries of 3-MCPD esters from oil samples were in the range of 80-100 %, with RSD ranging between 1.9 and 11.8%. The concentration levels of total 3-MCPD diesters in vegetable oil samples were in the range from 0.106 up to 3.444 μg g−1 whereas total monoesters ranged from 0.005 up to 1.606 μg g−1.