Simultaneous determination of 2-MCPDE, 3-MCPDE and glycidyl esters in instant noodles and snacks by validated GC–MS/MS with dietary exposure and risk assessment

Fatty acid esters of monochloropropanediols (MCPDs) and glycidol are processing-derived contaminants formed during high-temperature food manufacturing and may release toxic compounds after ingestion. This study validated a gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of 2-MCPDE, 3-MCPDE, and glycidyl esters in foods and evaluated their occurrence and dietary exposure associated with instant noodle and snack consumption. Samples were extracted using solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by derivatization prior to GC–MS/MS analysis. The validated method demonstrated a detection limits of 2 µg/kg, recoveries of 83.6–111%, repeatability of 2.50–8.16%, reproducibility of 2.53–10.4%, and expanded uncertainty below 25% across 6–1000 µg/kg. Among 30 instant noodle and 18 snack products analyzed, concentrations ranged from 67.0–455 µg/kg for 3-MCPDE, 120–979 µg/kg for 2-MCPDE, and 52.0–1460 µg/kg for glycidyl esters. Fried products contained higher contaminant levels than non-fried items, and concentrations correlated strongly with fat content. Estimated dietary exposure remained below the EFSA tolerable daily intake (TDI) for adults (<30%), whereas children approached ~85% of the TDI under typical consumption scenarios. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring MCPD and glycidyl esters in processed foods and provide analytical support for exposure assessment and risk management. • A GC–MS/MS method was validated for simultaneous determination of 2-MCPDE, 3-MCPDE and GE in food samples. • Method performance met AOAC/ISO/GUM criteria with high sensitivity, precision and recovery. • Market assessment revealed widespread MCPD ester and glycidyl ester occurrence in instant noodles and snacks in Vietnam. • Dietary exposure modelling showed children may approach or exceed the EFSA TDI under high intake scenarios. • Findings support continuous surveillance and mitigation strategies for thermally processed, high-fat foods.