Structure Identification of Contaminants in a Beverage Product by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

The contaminants in a beverage product that had been reported to have a strange taste were identified. By comparative analysis with the normal product using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS), six unknown compounds were detected in the total ion current chromatograms of the product in question. Detailed analysis of the mass spectra and product ion spectra of these compounds strongly suggested that the compounds were capric acid diethanolamide, lauric acid diethanolamide, myristic acid diethanolamide, lauryl dimethylaminoacetic acid, lauryl sulfate, and lauric acid, all of which are surfactants commonly used as ingredients of household detergents and shampoos. We searched commercially available detergent products to check for the presence of these six surfactants, and identified products that might have been intentionally or unintentionally mixed into the beverage product after opening.