Simultaneous Determination of 2- and 4-Methylimidazoles in Beverages Using a FASt® Filter and Shoot Method

Traditional methods for the extraction and analysis of 2-methylimidazole (2-MeI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI) in caramel colored beverages 2-MeI and 4-MeI follow several pathways. One option involves tedious ion-pairing extraction, and derivatization paired with GC or GC/MS analysis. A second option uses solid phase extraction (SPE) combined with HPLC or LC/MS-MS detection. This application offers a simple, fast, and cost effective method to simultaneously determine 2-MeI and 4-MeI in beverages.