Having as a starting point the stricter requirements on the performance of acrylamide determination methods that are foreseen by the Implementing Regulation 2019/2093, in combination with the low reporting levels that have been established for special food categories (e.g. infant formulae) according to Regulation EC 2017/2158, the Chemical Metrology Service of the General Chemical State Laboratory developed and validated a new method for the determination of acrylamide, which is based on liquid-liquid extraction, clean-up with dSPE and quantification with LC-MS/MS using isotope dilution. The limit of quantification attained by the new method is lower than 5 μg/kg, when LOQs at 20 μg/kg are considered to be satisfactory.

The low LOQs provide the laboratories that are charged with the official control of the food market with the capability to determine contaminants that are dangerous for human health at very low concentrations with low uncertainty, thus ensuring product compliance and safeguarding consumer health.