Chloroform in food samples from 2014 Canadian total diet study: occurrence and dietary exposure.

Chloroform or trichloromethane is one of the trihalomethanes formed during disinfection of water with chlorine, and residues of chloroform can be detected in foods and food products due to the use of chlorinated drinking water and disinfecting food processing equipment with chlorine-based disinfectants. In this study, chloroform was detected in 37 (or 23%) of the 159 composite food samples from the 2014 Canadian Total Diet Study, but was not detected in cereals, fruits, fast foods, and most of the meat samples. Chloroform was detected in almost all 14 composite samples of dairy products, with the highest level (58 ng/g) observed in butter, followed by cream (26 ng/g), and cheese (12-21 ng/g).

GC-MS Analysis of Phthalates and Di-(2-thylhexyl) Adipate in Canadian Human Milk for Exposure Assessment of Infant Population.

Background: Although more information has become available on the occurrence of phthalates and di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) in foods including cow's milk, information on their presence in human milk, the important and recommended sole diet for infants up to six months of age, is very limited, especially for DEHA.

Objective: To develop a GC-MS method for simultaneous analysis of DEHA and phthalates in human milk samples and generate occurrence data for exposure assessment.

Method: Human milk samples were extracted with acetonitrile followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction and GC-MS analysis.

Perchlorate in human milk samples from the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals study (MIREC).

Perchlorate is a low molecular weight highly soluble anion. It occurs naturally in the environment, primarily near potash deposits and in arid regions. The determination of perchlorate in human milk is of interest in vulnerable populations such as infants and pregnant women.

p-Cymene, a natural antioxidant, in Canadian total diet foods: occurrence and dietary exposures.

Background: There is a lack of information on the presence of volatile organic compounds including p-cymene in foods for dietary exposure assessment. p-Cymene is a monoterpene found in many plant species, which has been used as a flavouring agent in foods and also exhibits antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. While the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has no safety concerns at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring, the current study examines p-cymene levels in foods in general, not just from possible uses as a flavouring, as there could still be a potential health concern if there were high levels of exposure.

Analysis of perchlorate in baby food on Canadian (Ottawa) markets in 2009 and estimated dietary exposure.

In order to determine the baseline levels of perchlorate in major brands of baby food, 200 baby food products were collected from retail stores in Ottawa, Canada and analysed for perchlorate in 2010. The seven food groups tested were fruit, juices, vegetables, meat, yogurt, mixed (vegetable mixed with meat) and other (e.g.

Styrene in foods and dietary exposure estimates.

Low levels of styrene may be found in foods as a result of possible migration from polystyrene-based food packaging and as a result of its formation during the biodegradation of a wide variety of naturally occurring compounds with structures similar to styrene. In this study, composite food samples from a recent (2014) Canadian Total Diet Study were analysed for styrene, and levels of styrene in samples of most food types were low in general with a few exceptions (e.g.

Occurrence of toluene in Canadian total diet foods and its significance to overall human exposure.

Levels of most VOCs in foods are usually low because of their volatility, and human exposure to VOCs is expected to be mainly via inhalation of ambient and indoor air. However, dietary exposures to VOCs can be significant to overall exposures if elevated concentrations of VOCs are present in foods consumed in high amounts and/or on a regular basis, and this was demonstrated in this study with the occurrence data of toluene from the recent 2014 Canadian Total Diet Study (TDS). Concentrations of toluene in the composite samples of most food types from the 2014 TDS are low and similar to the results from the previous 2007 TDS with some exceptions, such as beef steak (670 ng/g (2014 TDS) vs.

Occurrence of 13 volatile organic compounds in foods from the Canadian total diet study.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous in the environment due to evaporation and incomplete combustion of fuels, use of consumer and personal care products, etc. and they can accumulate in foods. Some VOCs in foods can also be formed during food processing and preparation and migrate from food packaging.

Baseline levels of melamine in food items sold in Canada. II. Egg, soy, vegetable, fish and shrimp products.

A variety of egg-containing, soy-based, fish, shrimp and vegetable products sold in Canada were analysed for melamine (MEL) using a sensitive solid-phase extraction LC-MS/MS analytical method. MEL was detected above the method quantification limit of 0.004 mg/kg in 98 of the 378 samples analysed.

Baseline levels of melamine in food items sold in Canada. I. Dairy products and soy-based dairy replacement products.

A variety of dairy and soy-based dairy replacement products (n = 246) purchased from Canadian retail outlets were analysed for baseline levels of melamine (MEL) using a sensitive LC-MS/MS method (method quantification limit = 4 µg/kg). MEL was infrequently detected; only 14% of the items analysed contained quantifiable levels of MEL. The concentrations observed, aside from one recalled sample of candy, ranged from 0.