A Straightforward, Sensitive, and Reliable Strategy for Ethyl Carbamate Detection in By-Products from Baijiu Production by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Baijiu is a renowned Chinese distilled liquor, notable for its distinctive flavor profile and intricate production process, which prominently involves fermentation and distillation. Ethyl carbamate (EC), a probable human carcinogen, can be potentially formed during these procedures, thus prompting significant health concerns. Consequently, the contamination of EC during Baijiu production has become an increasingly pressing issue. In this study, we developed a rapid and easily operable immunoassay for determining EC in the fermented materials used in Baijiu production. The development of a high-quality antibody specific to EC facilitated a streamlined analytical procedure and heightened method sensitivity. Furthermore, we systematically evaluated other essential parameters. Following optimization, the method achieved an IC50 value of 11.83 μg/kg, with negligible cross-reactivity against EC analogs. The recovery study demonstrated the method’s good accuracy and precision, with mean recovery rates ranging from 86.0% to 105.5% and coefficients of variation all below 10%. To validate the feasibility of the technique, we collected and analyzed 39 samples simultaneously using both the proposed immunoassay and confirmatory gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A robust correlation was observed between the results obtained from the two methods (R2 > 0.99). The detected EC levels ranged from 2.36 μg/kg to 7.08 μg/kg, indicating an increase during the fermentation process.