Rapid and Simple Method for the Determination of 2-Alkylcyclobutanones in Irradiated Meat and Processed Foods

A rapid and simple method has been developed for the determination of 2-alkylcyclobutanone, 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (DCB), and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (TCB) in irradiated meat and processed foods. The procedure consists of extraction with n-hexane, following defatting and cleanup with a silica gel mini-column before gas chromatograph–mass spectrometry analysis. The method was evaluated using samples of beef, pork, Parmesan cheese, fried chicken, hamburger, gyoza (Chinese dumplings), and gyudon (boiled beef and onion seasoned with soy sauce and sugar). The recoveries of spiked DCB were 67–88 %, and those of TCB were 70–86 %. Furthermore, the method could detect DCB and TCB from samples irradiated at 1.0 and 2.6 kGy at levels dependent on dose; DCB and TCB were not detected in any nonirradiated samples. The method did not require special equipment, such as Soxhlet extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, or supercritical fluid extraction, for sample preparation. Thus, this method would be useful for determining DCB and TCB levels in irradiated meat and processed foods.