Development and Validation of a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for the Simultaneous Determination Melamine and Cyromazine in Animal Feeds

A new method for simultaneous determination of melamine and cyromazine in animal feeds using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed and validated. Samples were extracted with trichloroacetic acid solution cleaned up by cation exchange solid-phase extraction catridges and derivatized with N, O-bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluroacetamide containing 1% trimethylchlorosilane followed by GC separation and MS detection. The limits of quantification were 0.10 mg kg(-1) for both melamine and cyromazine. Recoveries from feeds spiked at levels between 0.1 and 50 mg kg(-1) ranged from 84.2-99.5% with Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) < 8% with the exception of a 10.2% RSD for 0.1 mg kg(-1) melamine. This validated method was successfully applied to commercial feed samples showing that it can be used as a routine tool for the surveillance and evaluation of the presence of melamine and cyromazine in animal feeds.