Chlorate is a food contaminant that is mainly attributed to the use of chlorinated water and disinfectants. The present study investigated if chlorate could also occur as a process contaminant in chemical leavening agents for baking products. Thus, a sensitive and rapid ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated. Chlorate was quantified using an isotopically labeled internal standard after complete degassing of carbonate-based products. The limit of detection/limit of quantification was 0.02 and 0.1 mg/kg, respectively, with recovery rates between 97.0 and 101.2% (concentration levels: 0.3, 1.4, or 5.0 mg/kg). Samples of baking powder, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, and potassium carbonate were analyzed. Chlorate was detected in all samples of baking powder in concentrations of 0.23-1.87 mg/kg. Potassium carbonate contained the highest chlorate levels, with a maximum of 60.9 mg/kg. These results indicate that baking powder and, particularly, potassium carbonate can be relevant sources of chlorate in food.
Keywords: UHPLC−MS/MS; baking powder; chlor-alkali electrolysis; chlorate; potassium carbonate; sodium bicarbonate.