A rapid supercritical fluid extraction method for the qualitative detection of 2-alkylcyclobutanones in gamma-irradiated fresh and sea water fish

2-Alkylcyclobutanones are routinely used as chemical markers for irradiated foods containing lipids. However, current extraction procedures (soxhlet-F lorisil chromatography) for the isolation of these markers involve a long a nd tedious clean-up regime prior to GC-MS identification. A simple and rapi d method for the isolation of these markers using carbon dioxide as a super critical fluid is described for low lipid content fish samples (fresh and sea water) irradiated up to 8 kGy. The presence of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone ( 2-DCB), a radiolytic marker, was confirmed in all irradiated fish samples a t all doses. This was a clear indication that the fish samples had been irr adiated and that both methods of isolation (florisil and supercritical flui d extraction) were capable of qualitatively extracting this marker. Supercr itical fluid extraction is proposed as an alternative extraction procedure to the florisil chromatography method currently in use and has the added ad vantage of a considerably shorter extraction time.