Plant-based beverages are gaining traction as sustainable and health-conscious dairy alternatives, catering to diverse dietary needs while offering nutritional benefits [1-2]. However, harmful contaminants such as acrylamide, glycidamide, and methylacrylamide pose potential health risks, requiring rigorous monitoring to ensure consumer safety [3]. This study introduces a novel miniaturized dispersive solid-phase extraction (µ-dSPE) method for simultaneously detecting these compounds in plant-based beverages using HPLC-UV.
Method optimization involved a two-stage experimental design. First, an asymmetrical 3441 screening design evaluated parameters such as salt type, clean-up sorbent, acid type, sorbent amount, and clean-up time across 18 experiments. Next, a Doehlert response surface design refined sorbent composition, amount, and clean-up time through 15 experiments. The optimized µ-dSPE method was validated according to Food and Drug Administration guidelines, demonstrating excellent linearity, specificity, accuracy, and precision.
Sustainability was assessed using the AGREEprep tool [4], achieving a high score of 0.86 due to a reduced sample size, the elimination of organic solvents, minimal waste, and low energy consumption. This is the first study to quantify acrylamide, glycidamide, and methylacrylamide in food products. The findings provide valuable insights into food safety and underscore the importance of enhanced analytical strategies to monitor contaminants in plant-based beverages, supporting the industry’s commitment to sustainability and consumer well-being.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the Polish National Science Center within the project 2023/07/X/NZ9/01113 as part of the MINIATURA-7 program.
References:
[1] Fructuoso, Iet al. (2021). Nutrients, 13, 2650.
[2] Reyes-Jurado, F., et al. (2023). Food Reviews International, 39, 2320-2351.
[3] Sebastià, A., et al. (2023). TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 117267.
[4] Pena-Pereira, F., et al. Adv. Sample Prep., 3 (2022). 100025.
