Occurrence of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids in food

Abstract

A total of 1 105 samples of animal- and plant-derived products, including milk and milk products, eggs, meat and meat products, (herbal) teas and (herbal) food supplements were analysed for the presence of 28 or 35 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Samples were collected in supermarkets, retail shops and for a small proportion via internet between January 2014 and April 2015, in six European countries (France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain). The samples comprised 268 milk and milk products (including yoghurt, cheese and infant formula), 205 eggs, 273 meat (including beef, pork and poultry meat, and liver of beef, pork and chicken), 168 teas (including black, green, rooibos, chamomile, peppermint and mixed herbal tea) and 191 food supplements. All samples were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification depended on the matrix (from ≤ 0.1 µg/L in milk to 5-10 µg/kg in oil-based food supplements) and was considered fit-for-purpose. One or more PAs were detected in 2 % of the animal-derived products, in 91 % of the (herbal) teas and in 60 % of the food supplements. Eleven milk samples (6 %) contained PAs, but the levels were relatively low (between 0.05 and 0.17 µg/L). Only two egg samples contained trace amounts of PAs (0.10-0.12 µg/kg), and no PAs were detected in the other animal-derived products. In contrast, all types of (herbal) teas investigated were found to contain PAs, with a mean concentration of 6.13 µg/L in (herbal) tea infusion (corresponding to 460 µg/kg dry tea). The highest mean concentrations were found in rooibos tea (7.99 µg/L tea infusion) and the lowest in chamomile (3.65 µg/L tea infusion). Occurrence of PAs in food supplements was found to be highly variable, with the highest concentrations present in supplements containing plant material from known PA-producing plants.