Development of an Indirect Enzymatic Method for Simultaneous Analysis of 2-/3-MCPD and Glycidyl Fatty Acid Esters

Abstract

Analytical methods for 2-/3-MCPD and Glycidyl fatty acid esters in edible oils and foods have been developed in various countries. Those include direct methods based on measurement of every ester using LC-MS, and indirect methods based on hydrolysis of esters and subsequent measurement of 2-/3-MCPD and glycidol in free-form using GC-MS. Indirect methods have an advantage over direct methods because they can be used for simultaneous determinations of 2-/3-MCPD and glycidol esters as their free-form equivalents. The enzymatic method that uses a lipase from Candida rugosa for the hydrolysis is the fastest among the indirect methods available today. The ester hydrolysis completes in 0.5 hour, and the preparations of analytical samples and calibration curves are simple and easy. Japan Oil Chemists’ Society (JOCS) conducted a collaborative study with 13 participant laboratories, and obtained results with good reproducibility. The method is registered in The JOCS Standard Methods for the Analysis of Fats, Oils and Related Materials as 2.4.14-₂₀₁₆.