Preliminary risk assessment of exposure to 3-monochloropropanediol and glycidyl fatty acid esters from infant formula and baby food products on the Saudi market

3-Monochloropropanediol fatty acid esters (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE) are well-identified processing-induced chemical toxicants detected in infant formula and baby foods worldwide. We analysed the levels of 3-MCPDE and GE in infant formula and baby food products available in Saudi Arabia, followed by a dietary risk assessment for exposure to these contaminants in infants and young children from birth to 3 years. Eighty-five commercial infant formulas (<i>n</i> = 35) and baby foods (<i>n</i> = 50) available for consumption by infants and babies purchased from the Saudi market during 2022 were analysed for these contaminants using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. 3-MCPDE and GE were detected in 100 and 80% of the samples, with a mean concentration of 57 µg/kg (range: 2–285 µg/kg) and 30 µg/kg (range: not detected–217 µg/kg), respectively. The highest concentration was found in milk-based formula for infants 0–6 months (285 µg/kg) and the lowest was found in fruit purees (2 µg/kg). Preliminary exposure and risk assessment showed increased exposure to 3-MCPDE for infants exclusively fed infant formula with exposure declining with age due to the introduction of solid foods. GE exposure levels reached 0.8 µg/kg body weight per day, which declined over time with margin of exposure values below 25,000. These results indicate that the levels of 3-MCPDE and GE in infant formula may pose potential risks to infants exclusively fed formula; therefore, adopting EU regulations should reduce the presence of these processing contaminants in essential infant foods.

3-氯丙二醇脂肪酸酯（3-Monochloropropanediol fatty acid esters, 3-MCPDE）与缩水甘油酯（glycidyl esters, GE）是全球范围内在婴儿配方食品及婴幼儿辅食中检出的、经加工过程诱导产生的典型化学有毒污染物。
本研究针对沙特阿拉伯市售婴儿配方食品与婴幼儿辅食中的3-MCPDE及GE水平开展检测，并针对0至3岁婴幼儿经膳食暴露于这些污染物的健康风险进行评估。
本研究于2022年从沙特市场采购了可供婴幼儿食用的市售产品，其中婴儿配方食品（n=35）与婴幼儿辅食（n=50）共计85批次，采用气相色谱-串联质谱法对上述污染物进行检测分析。
检测结果显示，3-MCPDE在全部样品中均有检出，GE的检出率为80%；二者的平均浓度分别为57 μg/kg（范围：2~285 μg/kg）与30 μg/kg（范围：未检出~217 μg/kg）。其中浓度最高的样品为0~6月龄婴儿饮用的乳基配方食品（285 μg/kg），浓度最低的样品为果泥（2 μg/kg）。
初步暴露与风险评估结果显示，完全食用婴儿配方食品的婴幼儿的3-MCPDE暴露量升高，且随着辅食添加、年龄增长，暴露量逐渐降低。
GE的每日暴露水平可达0.8 μg/kg体重，且随时间推移呈下降趋势，其暴露边际值低于25000。
上述结果表明，婴儿配方食品中的3-MCPDE与GE水平可能对完全食用配方食品的婴幼儿构成潜在健康风险；因此，采用欧盟相关法规或将有助于降低这类加工污染物在婴幼儿必需食品中的残留量。