Analysis of Processed Foods Containing Oils and Fats by Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry with an APCI Direct Probe.

Discriminating vegetable oils and animal and milk fats by infrared absorption spectroscopy is difficult due to similarities in their spectral patterns. Therefore, a rapid and simple method for analyzing vegetable oils, animal fats, and milk fats using TOF/MS with an APCI direct probe ion source was developed. This method enabled discrimination of these oils and fats based on mass spectra and detailed analyses of the ions derived from sterols, even in samples consisting of only a few milligrams. Analyses of the mass spectra of processed foods containing oils and milk fats, such as butter, cheese, and chocolate, enabled confirmation of the raw material origin based on specific ions derived from the oils and fats used to produce the final product.