Publications by authors named "Gracia A Perfetti"

Under certain conditions, benzene can form in beverages containing benzoic and ascorbic acids. The American Beverage Assn. (ABA) has published guidelines to help manufacturers mitigate benzene formation in beverages.

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Three environmentally friendly extraction techniques, membrane assisted solvent extraction (MASE), stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE), and headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), were compared for the direct analysis of the highly toxic rodenticide tetramine in food. The optimized MASE method was applied to seven foods fortified with tetramine and compared to previously reported SBSE and HS-SPME results. Parameters such as the standard addition linearity (MASE (0.

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A stir bar sorptive extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) method for the determination of tetramethylene disulfotetramine is presented. The limits of detection (LOD) of the optimized method was 0.2ngg(-1) for extractions from water and 0.

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In 2004, a quantitative headspace (HS) gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric method was developed and used to determine furan in approximately 300 foods. This method was modified and validated for the determination of furan in low-moisture snack foods. The modifications include a smaller test portion size and lower HS oven temperature.

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An automated solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method for the determination of tetramethylene disulfotetramine in foods was developed. A comparison of direct immersion (DI) and headspace (HS) extraction techniques using a 70microm carbowax/divinylbenzene (CW/DVB) fiber is presented. The optimized DI-SPME method provided an aqueous extraction limit of detection (LOD) of 9.

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Furan is a suspected human carcinogen that is formed in some processed foods at low ng per g levels. Recent improvements in analytical methodology and scientific instrumentation have made it possible to accurately measure the amount of furan in a wide variety of foods. Results from analysis of more than 300 processed foods are presented.

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Benzene, a carcinogen that can cause cancer in humans, may form at nanogram per gram levels in some beverages containing both benzoate salts and ascorbic or erythorbic acids. Through a series of reactions, a hydroxyl radical forms that can decarboxylate benzoate to form benzene. Elevated temperatures and light stimulate these reactions, while sugar and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can inhibit them.

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A LC-MS method was developed for the determination of coumarin, vanillin, and ethyl vanillin in vanilla products. Samples were analyzed using LC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS in the positive ionization mode. Limits of detection for the method ranged from 0.

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A headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method was developed and validated in-house for the determination of furan in foods. The method of standard additions with d4-furan as the internal standard was used to quantitate furan. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values ranged from 0.

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A method was developed for the extraction and quantification of five marker compounds characteristic of Ginkgo biloba. Five ginkgo terpene trilactones: bilobalide and ginkgolides A, B, C, and J, were selected as marker compounds for this study. Initial studies produced a simple methanol extraction method for determination of gingko markers in solid dietary supplements.

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Recently, semicarbazide has been found in food in jars sealed with cap liners that were manufactured using azodicarbonamide as a blowing agent. These reports raised the concern that the use of azodicarbonamide-an approved dough conditioner-may result in semicarbazide residues in bread. To answer this question, a method based upon the previously reported liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry determination of the semicarbazone of o-nitrobenzaldehyde was utilized.

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A method was developed for determination of St. John's wort marker compounds hypericin, pseudohypericin, hyperforin, and adhyperforin in functional foods. Solid-phase extraction provided analyte extraction and significant sample cleanup prior to analysis using liquid chromatography (LC) with UV and fluorescence detection.

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A method is described for determining sulfite in dried garlic. Garlic is extracted with an HCl solution to inhibit the formation of allicin, which interferes with the determination of sulfite. After cleanup of the extract on a C18 solid-phase extraction column, sulfite is converted to hydroxymethylsulfonate (HMS) by adding formaldehyde and heating to 50 degrees C.

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