Validation, Measurement Uncertainty, and Determination of Bixin and Norbixin in Processed Foods of Animal Resources Distributed in Korea.

This research aimed to validate a high-performance liquid chromatography method for the quantitative determination of bixin and norbixin in various foods. The Diode Array Detector (495 nm) technique was used. Method was validated for specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, and accuracy, and the measurement uncertainty was assessed. The calibration curve showed excellent linearity (r2≥0.9999) over the tested concentration range of 0.2-25 mg/L. The LOD and LOQ were 0.03-0.11 and 0.02-0.05 mg/L for bixin and norbixin, respectively. The intra- and inter-day accuracies and precisions were 88.0±1.3-97.0±0.5% and 0.2%-2.6% relative SD (RSD) for bixin and 88.2±0.8-105.8±0.8% and 0.3%-2.7% RSD for norbixin, respectively. Inter-laboratory validation for accuracy and precision was conducted in three laboratories, and these results all met the AOAC guidelines. In addition, the relative expanded uncertainty (<22%) satisfied the CODEX recommendation. Furthermore, products distributed in Korea were monitored for annatto extracts using the proposed method to demonstrate its application. The developed analytical method is reliable for quantifying bixin and norbixin in various foods.

Validation of avenanthramide and other phenolic compounds in oats and sprouted oats and their antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Oat contains a variety of phenolic compounds, including avenanthramides, which are found only in oats. This study was conducted to establish the quantitative analysis of seven phenolic compounds in oat powders and sprouted oat powders and validate an efficient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. All calibration curves represented good linearity (R 2 ≥ 0.9997) in the concentration range (0.5-50 mg/kg) with LOD and LOQ of 0.01-0.21 and 0.02-0.64 mg/kg, respectively. Intra-day accuracy (%) and precision (%RSD) were 90.7-103.8% and 1.5-4.9%, respectively. Inter-day accuracy (%) and precision (%RSD) were 90.4-107.9% and 2.2-4.8%, respectively. Moreover, relative expanded measurement uncertainty results complied with CODEX guideline. In addition, selected oat and sprouted oat powder extracts showed anti-microbial activities against Escherichia coli O157:H7. These results demonstrated that this HPLC method is suitable for the qualification and quantification of seven phenolic compounds in oat and sprouted oat. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01099-8.

Occurrence and risk characterization of non-nutritive sweeteners in selected food products from Korea.

Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are food additives that impart a sweet taste to food product with lower calories. Acesulfame potassium, aspartame, sodium saccharin, sucralose, steviol glycosides and enzymatically modified stevia are permitted in Korea. The study established the method of each NNS and applied it to each food items consumed in Korea. For risk assessments, the estimated daily intake (EDI) value for each NNS was calculated. EDI values of NNS were compared directly with each ADI (acceptable daily intake). The total estimated daily intake ranges by age compared with the % ADI were 0.12-0.53, 0.93-1.68, 0.05-0.20, 0.06-0.42 and 0.17-0.98% for acesulfame potassium, sodium saccharin, aspartame, sucralose and sum of stevioside and rebaudioside A, which were based on the overall averages. It can be concluded that the daily dietary intake of each of the five NNS is at a safe level when considered as a proportion of the ADI. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-021-01012-9.

Validation and measurement uncertainty of GC-MS quantification method for nicotine in dried mushrooms using QuEChERS extraction.

Nicotine is an alkaloid and a secondary plant metabolite that has been used as an insecticide. Despite their widespread application, the EU banned the use of nicotine-containing pesticides in December 2008. However, studies in Europe have found nicotine in mushrooms. Nicotine has also been detected in wild mushrooms, so there are other causes of contamination as well as pesticide. This study reports the development of GC-MS method for quantitatively analysing nicotine in mushrooms. This method provides recoveries of 89.5-92.5%, intra-day precisions of 0.32-0.85%, and inter-day precisions of 0.73-2.36%, with limits of detection and quantification of 0.38 and 1.15 µg kg-1, respectively. The relative expanded uncertainty result of 2.8-4.0% complies with CODEX requirements. The method was successfully applied to eleven mushroom samples in which nicotine was detected at levels of 0.033-1.713 mg kg-1. Therefore, this method is suitable for the quantification of nicotine in dried mushrooms to ensure pre-emptive food safety.

Determination and Daily Intake Estimation of Lignans in Sesame Seeds and Sesame Oil Products in Korea.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is a plant that belongs to the Pedaliaceae family which was first classified as a food source around 4000 years ago. Lignans (sesamin, sesamolin, sesamol, and sesaminol) present in sesame are the primary functional compounds that impart important health benefits. However, very little information is available on the lignan intake from sesame seeds and sesame oil products. Sesame oil is frequently and highly consumed in Korea and therefore is one of the important lignan intake sources due to the food eating habits of Koreans. Herein, we studied the distribution of lignans in sesame seeds (n = 21) and oil (n = 34) to estimate the daily lignan intake by the Korean population. High-performance liquid chromatography, in conjunction with statistical analysis, was used to determine the lignan content of seeds and oil. The estimated daily intake of total lignans from sesame seeds and oil, as estimated from the available domestic consumption data (Korea Nutrition and Health Examination Survey), is 18.39 mg/person/day for males and 13.26 mg/person/day for females. The contributions of lignan intake from sesame seeds and oil are 23.0% and 77.0%, respectively. This study provides preliminary information on lignan intake from sesame seeds and oil in the Korean population.