Combining a generic QuEChUP sample preparation with LC-Q-ToF-MS analysis for the large-scale screening of pesticides, veterinary drugs, mycotoxins and other chemicals in baby foods: a robust early-warning system to improve infant food monitoring.

To highlight chemical hazards in infant food, this study proposes a generic method combining QuEChUP extraction followed by LC-QTOF-MS analysis. The screening method was validated according to SANTE/11312/2021. A large part of the targeted contaminants had a limit of identification ≤0.01 mg.kg-1 (default MRL for pesticides). The method was then used on 123 baby foods. Targeted analysis enabled unequivocal identification of 54 contaminants, with notable occurrence of the flame-retardant TDCPP (∼27 %), the fungicides fluopyram (∼24 %), difenoconazole (∼23 %), fludioxonil and pyrimethanil (∼19 %). Moreover, 19 forbidden pesticide residues (≤ 3 %) and 4 veterinary drugs (≤ 2 %) were also identified, although not expected in infant food. A complementary suspect-screening workflow based on MS1 and MS2 similarity allowed putative annotations of 15 additional anthropogenic contaminants, 20 mycotoxins and 5 uremic toxins notably. Generic sample preparation and LC-HRMS analysis is unvaluable early-warning tool to strengthens the food monitoring, by highlighting emerging and non-regulated chemicals.