{
  "abstract": "Background The tobacco industry increasingly targets youth through products such as electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco devices. In Italy, 9.6% of children aged 11–13 use tobacco and nicotine products, with e-cigarettes being the most prevalent, reflecting a global trend. Articles 9 and 10 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control mandate testing and disclosure of ingredients, including flavours, highlighting the need for standardised analytical methods.Objectives To develop and validate a standardised non-targeted analysis (NTA) method for the compositional assessment of e-cigarette liquids.Methods A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry based NTA method was developed and validated through an interlaboratory study involving 21 laboratories worldwide. The method enables direct analysis of e-liquids and semi-quantitative evaluation of detected compounds.Results The method was applied to 23 commercial e-liquids from different WHO regions, identifying flavouring agents, allergens, and potential skin, eye, and respiratory irritants. Predominant flavour profiles included candy-sweet, fruity, and cooling compounds, with regional variability observed. The method demonstrated robustness and reproducibility across laboratories, including those with limited instrumentation.Conclusions This standardised NTA approach, now adopted as a WHO Standard Operating Procedure, provides a reliable tool for regulatory monitoring, supporting compliance, detecting undeclared substances, and strengthening flavour-related regulations globally.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy",
        "National Institute of Metrological Research (INRIM), Turin, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "Alessia Turina"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Environmental Health Sciences Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "Alice Passoni"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Environmental Health Sciences Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "Valentina Liboni"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Health Protection | Department for Chemical analysis, Tobacco & Drugs, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Walther N Klerx"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Health Protection | Department for Chemical analysis, Tobacco & Drugs, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Reinskje Talhout"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Health Protection | Department for Chemical analysis, Tobacco & Drugs, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Hans Cremers"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Centre for Health Protection | Department for Chemical analysis, Tobacco & Drugs, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands"
      ],
      "name": "Max Van Alphen"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Risk Assessment Department, Anses, Maisons-Alfort, France"
      ],
      "name": "Benoît Labarbe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Environmental Health Sciences Department, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy"
      ],
      "name": "Enrico Davoli"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Future-proofing chemical profiling of tobacco and nicotine products: standardised non-targeted analysis (NTA) of e-liquid flavour profiles for monitoring and regulation purposes",
  "uid": "58459a52-bc96-56ee-9af8-993332c9b63e"
}