Validation of the LC-GC×GC–MS/FID platform for mineral oil analysis through the comparison with the result of interlaboratory trials

The determination of mineral oil, a potentially toxic food contaminant, represents a real challenge from an analytical viewpoint. In fact, its quantification is characterized by a significant variability, caused for up to 20% by the chromatogram interpretation and integration, beside the additional variability due to the sample preparation methods. Recently the JRC and the DGF/ITERG organized two interlaboratory collaborative trials (ILCT) to validate a SOP for the analysis in infant formula and to update the official EN 16995:2017 method for oils and fats. We took advantage of these two ILCT to validate the novel fully integrated LC-GC×GC–ToFMS/FID platform and the software for 2D quantification that we have recently presented [1, 2]. The 2D data collected were compared with the results in 1D with the same platform and the entire results were put in perspective of the outcome of the ILCTs.