Levels of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters were evaluated in commercial deep-fat fried foods from the Brazilian market using a GC-MS method preceded by acid-catalysed methanolysis. A limit of detection of 0.04 mg kg(-1), a limit of quantitation of 0.08 mg kg(-1), mean recoveries varying from 82% to 92%, and coefficients of variation ranging from 2.5% to 5.0% for repeatability and from 3.6% to 6.5% for within-laboratory reproducibility were obtained during in-house validation. The levels of the compounds in the evaluated samples, expressed as free 3-MCPD equivalent, ranged from not detected to 0.99 mg kg(-)(1), and the highest concentrations were observed in samples of chopped onion and garlic. A preliminary estimation of 3-MCPD intake using these occurrence data suggested low risks to human health, but a potential concern may arise in particular cases of consumers of fried food.