Determination of acrylamide in starch-based foods by HPLC with pre-column ultraviolet derivatization.

A new method is developed for the determination of acrylamide in starch-based foods. The method included the extraction of acrylamide with water, defatting with hexane, derivatization with potassium bromate (KBrO(3)) and potassium bromide (KBr), liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate-hexane (4:1), and concentration. The final analyte (2-bromopropenamide, 2-BPA) is analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection for quantification and by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry for confirmation. The chromatographic analysis is performed on an ODS-3 C(18) column, and good retention and peak response of acrylamide are achieved under the optimal conditions. The limit of detection and quantitation are estimated to be 15 and 50 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries of acrylamide from the commercial samples are spiked at levels of 50-1000 μg/kg, and range between 89.6 and 102.0%. These results show that this method should be regarded as a new, low-cost, and robust alternative for conventional investigation of acrylamide.