A RAPID SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF 2-ALKYLCYCLOBUTANONES IN GAMMA-IRRADIATED BEEF AND CHICKEN

2-alkylcyclobutanones have been successfully used as chemical markers for irradiated foods. Unfortunately most sample preparation, and isola tion methods for these markers from their food matrices involve a long and very tedious clean-lip regimen prior to analysis. A simple and ra pid method for the isolation of these markers using carbon dioxide as a supercritical fluid is described for beef and chicken samples irradi ated up to 8 kGy. Significant levels of both 2-dodecylcycloburanone (2 -DCB) and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (2-TCB) were extracted from all ir radiated samples using carbon dioxide as a supercritical fluid, the me thod is proposed as an alternative to the florisil chromatography meth od currently in use. (C) 1998 Academic Press.