Are tropane alkaloids present in organic foods? Detection of scopolamine and atropine in organic buckwheat (Fagopyron esculentum L.) products by UHPLC-MS/MS.

A closer monitoring of tropane alkaloids (TA) in foods is now recommended by the European Commission, following a series of alerts related to the contamination of buckwheat with weeds of the genus Datura. A novel, accurate UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the rapid detection of scopolamine and atropine in buckwheat foods. A suitable extraction protocol was set up to maximize recoveries and detection limits in different raw, processed and baked foods. The method offers good performances in terms of sensitivity, accuracy and precision, with LOQs at 0.04 and 0.10µg/kg. The established method is suitable for routine determination of trace levels of TA and was applied to 26 different buckwheat-derived organic foods, detecting TA in 3 samples (13.9-83.9µg/kg for atropine and 5.7-10.4µg/kg for scopolamine). Only in one case the level of contamination was relevant in terms of food safety.