Survey on 3-Monochloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) Contents of Soy Sauce Products during Fiscal Year 2002 in Taiwan

WEI-CHIH CHENG*, HUI-CHANG CHEN, YI-PING LIN, HUI-FANG LEE, PI-CHIOU CHANG AND SHIN-SHU CHOU

Division of Food Chemistry, Bureau of Food and Drug Analysis, Department of Health, Taiwan, R.O.C.
161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan, R.O.C.

(Received: February 5, 2004; Accepted: July 2, 2004)

ABSTRACT

   A survey of 3-monochloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) content in soy sauce products is reported for determining the distributions of 3-MCPD concentrations. Two hundred and fourteen samples of soy sauce products, including 188 domestic and 26 imported soy sauce products were analyzed using a GC/MS method (detection limit 0.01 ppm) that was validated and promulgated by the Department of Health to check for compliance with the government’s recommended limit of 1 ppm for 3-MCPD in 2002. Results indicated that 3-MCPD was undetectable in 87 samples of domestic soy sauce products and 23 samples of imported soy sauce products 3-MCPD.  Ninty-one samples of domestic soy sauce products contained 3-MCPD at concentrations in the range of 0.01 ppm to 1 ppm while 10 samples of domestic soy sauce products were found to contain 3-MCPD at concentrations greater than 1 ppm. Only 3 samples of imported soy sauce products contained 3-MCPD at concentrations in the range of 0.01 ppm to 0.03 ppm. 3-MCPD contents of domestic soy sauce products in 2002 decreased significantly in comparison with the surveyed contents in 2000. Ten domestic soy sauce products containing 3-MCPD over the regulation limits set by the government were sampled and reanalyzed again after improvements made by the manufacturers. 3-MCPD concentrations ranged from 0.02 ppm to 0.11 ppm in 5 samples and were undetectable in 4 samples, while 1 sample was no longer produced after the survey.

Key words: soy sauce, 3-monochloro-1,2-propandiol, 3-MCPD, GC/MS