Development of a LC-MS/MS Method for the Determination of Lauric Arginate Ethyl Ester (E243) in Food

Abstract Background Lauric arginate ethyl ester (LAE) is a natural cationic surfactant exhibiting excellent antimicrobial activity and has been approved as safe additive in certain food according to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA). Objective This study aimed to develop an analytical method based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the analysis of LAE in food using isotope-labeled LAE as internal standard. Method LAE in food was extracted by a mixture of acetonitrile (ACN)/Water (9:1) and analyzed by LC-MS/MS via internal standard calibration method using LAE-d23 hydrochloride as internal standard. Results The limit of detection (LOD) values of LAE were 0.32 mg/kg in liquid samples and 1.0 mg/kg in solid samples. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) values were 4.4 mg/kg and 14 mg/kg in liquid and solid samples, respectively. Spike recoveries consistently fell within the range of 90% to 110% at three different fortification levels, accompanied by %RSD below 10% in each instance. Conclusions An analytical method with LC-MS/MS detection for the analysis of LAE in various food matrices was successfully developed, validated and demonstrated to be fast, robust and reliable. Highlights The developed analytical method with LC-MS/MS detection offered a fast and efficient way to analyse LAE in various food samples during a routine food surveillance programme.