Multi-mycotoxin analysis in dairy products by liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry

A new analytical method was developed and validated for simultaneous analysis of 58 mycotoxins in dairy products. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation method. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC/ESI Q-Orbitrap) was used for the separation and detection of all the analytes. The method was validated by taking into consideration the guidelines specified in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and 401/2006/EC. The extraction recoveries were in a range of 86.6-113.7%, with coefficient of variation <6.2%. The 58 compounds could be detected in the 0.001-100 mu g kg(-1) concentration range, with correlation coefficient >0.99. The limits of detection for the analytes are in the range 0.001-0.92 mu g kg(-1). The repeatability was lower than 6.4%. This method has been successfully applied on screening of mycotoxins in commercial dairy product samples, and it is very useful for fast screening of different food contaminants. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.