QuEChERS-LC-QTOFMS for the simultaneous determination of legislated and emerging mycotoxins in malted barley and beer using matrix-matched calibration as a solution to the commercial unavailability of internal standards for some mycotoxins

Laura Oliveira Lago; Tássia Henrique Nievierowski; Luana Peixoto Mallmann; Eliseu Rodrigues; Juliane Elisa Welke

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128744

QuEChERS-LC-QTOFMS for the simultaneous determination of legislated and emerging mycotoxins in malted barley and beer using matrix-matched calibration as a solution to the commercial unavailability of internal standards for some mycotoxins

Food Chem. 2021 May 30:345:128744. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128744. Epub 2020 Dec 8.

Authors

Laura Oliveira Lago¹, Tássia Henrique Nievierowski¹, Luana Peixoto Mallmann¹, Eliseu Rodrigues¹, Juliane Elisa Welke²

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501970, Brazil.
² Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos (ICTA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501970, Brazil. Electronic address: juliane.welke@ufrgs.br.

PMID: 33333360
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128744

Abstract

The combination of QuEChERS-LC-QTOFMS and matrix-matched calibration (MMC) to simultaneously determinate legislated and emerging mycotoxins in malt and beer was evaluated for the first time. The method performance was satisfactory displaying suitable linearity (R² >0.99) and recovery (71-102%). The lowest values (in μg kg^-1) of LOD (0.01) and LOQ (0.05) were found for enniatins, while the highest LOD (15) and LOQ (50) were reported for fumonisin B1. Precision and sensitivity (RSD <10%) were in accordance with the different guidelines of method validation. MMC was important to avoid inaccurate quantification of all mycotoxins due to signal enhancement or suppression. Another advantage was the enhanced throughput, requiring 1.2 min of analysis per analyte. The detection of legislated (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1, zearalanone, T-2 and HT-2 toxin) and emerging mycotoxins (enniatins, beauvericin, moniliformin and sterigmatocystin) allowed verifying compliance with legislation and generating data to support the establishment of limits for emerging mycotoxins.

Keywords: LC-MS; Malt, beer; Multi-mycotoxin method; Mycotoxins.

MeSH terms

Beer / analysis*
Calibration
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
Food Analysis / methods*
Food Contamination / analysis*
Hordeum / chemistry*
Mycotoxins / analysis*
Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

Mycotoxins