APPLICATION OF LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY ATMOSPHERIC-PRESSURE CHEMICAL-IONIZATION MASS-SPECTROMETRY AND TANDEM MASS-SPECTROMETRY TO THE DETERMINATION OF VOLATILE NITROSAMINES IN DRY SAUSAGES

A high-performance liquid chromatographic-atmospheric pressure chemica l ionization mass spectrometric method was developed for the determina tion of volatile nitrosamines in dry sausages. Tandem mass spectrometr y was applied for the detection of N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosodiet hylamine and N-nitrosopiperidine. N-nitrosomethylamine was detected by using the selected ion monitoring mode. The occurrence of the four di fferent nitrosamines was monitored in 27 dry sausage samples and a cor relation was observed between N-nitrosopyrrolidine and biogenic amines . Nitroso compounds are thus not only formed in heated conditions but formation can also occur during ripening of dry sausages by reaction b etween residual nitrite and amines formed during the fermentation proc ess.