Multimycotoxin Analysis in Oat, Rice, Almond and Soy Beverages by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

This study developed and validated an analytical methodology for the determination of aflatoxins, enniatins, beauvericin, zearalenone, ochratoxin-A, alternariols, HT-2 and T-2 toxin in soy, oat, rice and almond beverages, based on solid phase extraction columns (SPE) and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem. C18 SPE was successfully applied, obtaining recoveries that range from 72 +/- 12% (ochratoxin-A) to 99 +/- 4% (ENA1) at high level (L1) and 65 +/- 8% (T-2) to 128 +/- 9% (alternariol monomethyl ether) at low levels (L3). The methodology was validated according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, with limits of quantification ranging from 0.3 (AFs in oat beverages) to 18 ng/mL (HT-2 in rice beverage). The analysis of 56 beverage samples purchased from Valencia (Spain) showed at least one mycotoxin occurring in 95% of samples, including carcinogenic aflatoxins, and oat beverage was the most contaminated. This is a newest validated methodology for the quantification of sixty mycotoxins in oat, rice, almond and soy beverages.

Automated summary

This study developed and validated an analytical methodology for the determination of multiple mycotoxins in soy, oat, rice and almond beverages. The methodology was based on solid phase extraction columns (SPE) and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in tandem. The analysis of beverage samples showed that oat beverage was the most contaminated, with at least one mycotoxin occurring in 95% of the samples.