Precise and efficient HPLC‐UV identification of rice glutelin in infant formulas for special medical purposes

Summary Glutelin is a potential allergen that can cause allergies, celiac disease, and diabetes in infants and may even lead to autoimmune diseases in infants under 4 months of age. Given the critical role of glutelin, there exists a need for clear and standardised methods for their detection in infant formulas for special medical purposes (IFSMPs). The aim of this study was to develop an accurate and effective HPLC method for the identification of glutelin in IFSMPs. The heat‐stable subunit was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after subjecting glutelin to various heat‐treatment processes. To validate the HPLC method, the different food matrices present in IFSMPs were simulated by mixing rice glutelin with milk protein concentrate (MPC), soy protein isolate (SPI), and both MPC and SPI in various ratios. The results revealed that the limit of detection (LOD) for glutelin solution was 9.7 μg·mL −1 and the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) was 0.9909. Meanwhile, the LOD of glutelin in the food matrices ranged from 10 to 50 mg·g −1 , and R 2 varied from 0.9802 to 0.9983. The HPLC method developed in this study displays superior detection results compared with existing methods, shortens the total detection time, and allows for more rapid and accurate identification of glutelin in IFSMPs. The developed method is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the quality control and evaluation of IFSMPs.