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A method was developed for the analysis of vitamins D2 and D3 in a variety of nutritional products. To extract vitamins D2 and D3 from products containing substantial amounts of fat, a saponification with alcoholic potassium hydroxide is required to release the vitamin D. Trideuterium-labeled vitamin D is added to the sample prior to saponification, and quantitation is achieved using linear regression of the ratio of peak response for 2H3-D and vitamin D. Acceptable linearity was achieved between 0.6 and 27 microg/100 g with a correlation requirement of >0.999. The method detection limit of 0.02 microg/100 g was verified by spiking placebo products carried through the saponification and extraction steps of the method. At the quantitation limit (0.12 microg/100 g), the signal was easily distinguished from the background. Vitamin D3 spike recoveries ranged from 107 to 119% at the low level and 104 to 116% at the high-level spike. Vitamin D2 recoveries were 105 to 116% and 91 to 110% for the low- and high-level spikes, respectively. SRM 1849a has a certified concentration of 11.1 +/- 1.7 microg/100 g; using this standard reference material, the range of 9.4 to 12.8 microg/100 g was met on each of the 6 days. Method repeatability, determined in 12 vitamin D3 product matrixes over 6 days, ranged from 3.9 to 48%. The adult nutrition-milk protein sample was the most notable; it failed within-day, as well as day-to-day, precision requirements. There was no attempt to optimize the sample preparation to accommodate any problem matrix.

During the "Standards Development and International Harmonization: AOAC INTERNATIONAL Mid-Year Meeting" held on June 29, 2011, an Expert Review Panel (ERP) on behalf of AOAC INTERNATIONAL adopted the method "Simultaneous Determination of Vitamins D2 and D3 by LC-MS/MS in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals" as an AOAC Official First Action method. Vitamins D2 and D3 are extracted from the sample using pentane-ether; the extract is collected and dried under nitrogen. Vitamin D is separated from interfering compounds using UPLC, and quantitated using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Preliminary data showed the intermediate precision ranged from 3.34-8.05% and an accuracy range of 98.5-111% over the samples tested for vitamin D3. For vitamin D2, the intermediate precision ranged from 2.37-5.45% and accuracy ranged from 96.4-104% over the four matrixes evaluated. The analytical range for the method is bounded by the concentrations of the working standards, 21-270 ng/mL, and is equivalent to 0.168-2.16 mcg/100 g in ready-to-feed product. The practical method quantitation limit is 0.168 mcg/100 g product with method detection limit of 60 ng/100 g product. The ERP reviewed the data and determined that the performance characteristics of the method met the standard method performance requirements, and therefore the method was granted First Action status.