Occurrence of (suspected) genotoxic flavouring substances in Belgian alcohol-free beers

The regulatory landscape of flavourings is evolving, thereby putting pressure on control laboratories to develop analytical methods for a wide range of compounds in various types of food (including drinks). In order to improve the monitoring of flavouring substances, a versatile and accurate analytical method using the solvent-assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE) technique coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode GC-MS (SIM) was developed and validated. Focus was put on authorised flavouring substances requiring specific attention due to a genotoxic concern based on information available in European risks assessment reports. Thirty-seven (suspected) genotoxic flavouring substances were analysed in a selection of ten alcohol-free beers. Five suspected genotoxic compounds (i.e. 1-(2-furyl)-propan-2-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-acetyl-5-methylfuran, 2-acetyl-3,5-dimethylfuran, hex-2-eno-1,4-lactone) as well as two confirmed genotoxic flavouring substances (p-mentha-1,8-dien-7-al, pentan-2,4-dione) were identified and quantified among the selected samples. The relatively low concentrations and natural occurrences of the identified compounds suggested that these were not added as such but rather originated from heat-treatments or from plant-based extracts.