3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD): a review on properties, occurrence, mechanism of formation, toxicity, analytical approach and mitigation strategy

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) is one of the most common food contaminants in processed oils which forms mostly during the deodorization step of edible oil refining process. It has been detected in many types of food products such as infant formula, margarine, bread and soy sauce, which could result in kidney and testicular damage. The presence of 3-MCPD contaminant have been occurring for more a decade, which warrants a maximum permissible amount of 2 µg/kg body weight in food products in national and international levels. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview in the past 12 years on its physicochemical properties, occurrence, potential precursors and formation mechanism of 3-MCPD in foodstuffs. The toxicity, its quantification methods and mitigation strategy are also reviewed with an emphasis on the applicability, efficiency and issues encountered during the analysis. This review provides an elucidation regarding 3-MCPDEs and their food safety implications

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction technique of fixed oils from Sudanese seeds

The extraction of oils from Sudanese seeds is of great economic and traditional significance. This study investigated the use of ultrasonic-assisted extraction to extract oils from five different Sudanese seeds: desert date (Balanites aegyptiaca L), baobab (Adansonia digitata), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). The extraction process used two organic solvents, n-hexane and n-heptane. The results showed that n-heptane was a more effective solvent for extracting oils from Sudanese seeds than n-hexane. The highest oil yield was obtained from B. aegyptiaca seeds, with a yield of 29%. The optimal seed-to-solvent mass ratio for B. aegyptiaca was 1:6, and the optimal extraction time was 1 hour (60 mins). A thermodynamic study was conducted to validate the experimental results. The larger area in the nonpolar region for n-heptane suggests a higher extraction capacity for the seed oils. These results are consistent with the experimental findings of this study. In conclusion, ultrasonic-assisted extraction is a promising method for extracting oils from Sudanese seeds. N-heptane is a more effective solvent than n-hexane for this purpose, and the optimal seed-to-solvent mass ratio and extraction time are 1:6 and 1 hour (60 mins), respectively. The results of this study could be used to develop new commercial products based on Sudanese seed oils. However, further research is needed to investigate the effects of other factors, such as temperature and pressure, on the extraction of oils from Sudanese seeds