Overview
Biogenic amines are naturally occurring organic bases formed by fermentation processes or bacterial decarboxylation of amino acids. As they can be an indicator of poor hygienic conditions and spoilage of food products, there is a need for analytical methods ensuring compliance with concentration limits. This application note describes a reliable method for the direct analysis of biogenic amines using LC/MS. Ion pair chromatography is used to gain separation of biogenic amines on a reversed phase column avoiding the need of a time-consuming and unspecific derivatization procedure. Exemplary, a Tempranillo red wine is evaluated regarding toxicological thresholds of biogenic amines stated by the European Food Safety Authority.
Key Objectives:
- Elevated levels of biogenic amines are an indicator of poor food quality
- Biogenic amines can be reliably analyzed via LC/MS
- Direct analysis of underivatized biogenic amines via ion pair chromatography enables high throughput and reproducibility