Vaccine for Foodborne Doping (VFD): Comprehensive LC-MS/MS Quantitative Method to Prevent Unintentional Doping from Foods and Dietary Supplements

Abstract

Unintentional doping caused by the ingestion of contaminated foods and dietary supplements remains a critical issue in anti-doping efforts. While various analytical methods have been developed, there is no validated approach capable of simultaneously screening and quantifying hundreds of sports prohibited substances across diverse food matrices.To address this limitation, we introduce a ？foodborne vaccine″ concept―a robust analytical platform designed to proactively mitigate the risks of foodborne doping through the rapid and accurate quantification of over 300 prohibited substances using LC-MS/MS combined with a universal QuEChERS-based sample preparation method. This method was validated across 10 diverse food matrices, assessing matrix effects and recovery rates to confirm its broad applicability. Furthermore, three representative matrices―pork, oats, and beverages―were selected to develop a matrix-specific quantification approach, ensuring accuracy across different food compositions. The method was subjected to rigorous validation for selectivity, limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification (LOQ), linearity, intra- and inter-day accuracy, and precision, demonstrating full compliance with Codex guidelines. Compared to existing methods, this approach offers significantly reduced run time, enhanced specificity, high sensitivity, and superior accuracy and precision, making it a powerful tool for doing analysis in food and dietary supplement matrices. By functioning as a foodborne vaccine, this analytical framework provides a proactive and preventive solution against unintentional doping, ultimately strengthening anti-doping measures and ensuring integrity in sports.