Food Safety: Determination of Mycotoxins in food by LC-MS/MS
Mycotoxins in feed, crops, and various foods are known to pose a serious health hazard to both livestock and humans. They are produced by fungi as toxic secondary metabolites. Grains, maize, and cereals are particularly vulnerable. With an estimated 25% of all crops showing some sign of mycotoxin contamination, many countries have established regulatory guidelines for maximum mycotoxin limits in feed, cereals and processed food products, particularly cereals and baby food.
In 2020, the European Commission asked EFSA to update their risk assessment especially on ochratoxin A (OTA) in food. Fungi of the genus Aspergillus and Penicillium produce OTA, which can be found as a contaminant in various foods. OTA causes kidney toxicity in different animal species and kidney tumours in rodents.
The current regulatory limits require a reliable and robust LC/MS/MS method for monitoring a range of mycotoxins, including aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2; ochratoxin A; HT-2 and T-2 toxins; and ergocristine and fumonisins F-B1 and F-B2.
Key Learning Points:
- Why mycotoxins are posing a risk to the whole supply chain and can affect human health.
- Insights on risk assessment for mycotoxins in food
- LC-MS/MS-based analytical methods for sensitive determination of mycotoxins and ochratoxin A (OTA) in Food
There will be a live Q&A session with our experts, and we encourage you to engage and interact during this session.
