Occurrence of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in edible oils in the United States

Abstract

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) and glycidol are processing contaminants found in a wide range of edible oils. While both 3 MCPD and glycidol have toxicological properties that at present has concerns for food safety, the published occurrence data are limited. Occurrence information is presented for the concentrations of 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in 116 retail and/or industrial edible oils and fats using LC-MS/MS analysis of intact esters. The concentrations for bound 3-MCPD ranged from below the limit of quantitation (<LOQ) to 0.09 mg kg⁻¹ (ppm) in 22 unrefined oils and from 0.005 to 7.2 mg kg⁻¹ (ppm) in 94 refined oils. The concentrations for bound glycidol ranged from <LOQ to 0.03 mg kg⁻¹ (ppm) in unrefined oil samples and from <LOQ to 10.5 mg kg⁻¹ (ppm) in processed oil samples. The highest concentrations for both 3-MCPD and glycidol were seen in refined palm oil and palm olein samples. Palm olein samples also contained a higher percentage of 3-MCPD in mono-ester form than any other type of oil.

Keywords:

• 3-MCPD
• glycidol
• glycidyl esters
• oils
• processing contaminants

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge their industry colleagues for providing palm oil and palm-derived oils for use in this study.