Simultaneous determination of ochratoxin A, mycophenolic acid and fumonisin B2 in meat products

Abstract

Here we present a method for simultaneous determination of the fungal metabolites mycophenolic acid, ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B(2) (FB(2)) in meat products. Extraction was performed with water-acetonitrile, followed by acetone-induced precipitation of salts and proteins. Purification and identification of analytes was performed by mixed-mode reversed-phase anion-exchange chromatography in direct ion-exchange mode, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection. Quantification was based on isotope dilution with fully (13)C-labelled FB(2) and OTA, and matrix-spiked calibration curves. Fermented sausages inoculated with an OTA- and FB(2)-producing strain of Aspergillus niger were analysed, but no analytes were detected. Analysis of 22 retail products showed one Parma meat with a very high level of OTA contamination (56-158 microg/kg) that clearly exceeded the Italian regulatory limit of 1 microg/kg. This sample and uninfected control samples were subsequently reanalysed, and the high OTA content was verified by two other techniques: (i) LC-time-of-flight MS confirmed the accurate mass as well as chlorine isotope pattern; and (ii) sample methylation in methanol-BF(3) and subsequent LC-MS/MS provided indirect confirmation by detection of the OTA methyl ester. In the contaminated Parma ham, the high OTA level most likely originated from growth of Penicillium nordicum on the meat.

Presence of ochratoxin A on the surface of dry-cured Iberian ham after initial fungal growth in the drying stage

“…This method has been previously used for an accurate detection and quantification of mycotoxins in several foods (Al-Hazmi, 2010;Brera, Grossi, & Miraglia, 2005;Gonçalez et al, 2008). The LOD and the LOQ values obtained were lower than those reported for the analysis of this mycotoxin by HPLC-MS (Sørensen et al, 2010). These values provide information about the reproducibility and the minimum detectable value of the method (Toscani et al, 2007).…”

Rapid determination of total aflatoxins and ochratoxins A in meat products by immuno-affinity fluorimetry

“…Relatively high OTA levels of 7 and 8 lg/kg were recovered from artisanal and industrial sausages, respectively, studied in Northern Italy (Iacumin et al, 2009) while much higher OTA levels (56-158 lg/kg) were reported in retail meat products examined in Denmark (Sørensen, Mogensen, & Nielsen, 2010). On the other hand, a much lower mean value of 0.25 lg/kg was detected for OTA in French delicatessen meats (Sirot et al, 2013).…”

Occurrence and potential transfer of mycotoxins in gilthead sea bream and Atlantic salmon by use of novel alternative feed ingredients

“…However, other fumonisin producing fungi such as A. niger (Mogensen et al, 2009) has been isolated from warm air-dried meat products (Mizáková et al, 2002;Sorensen et al, 2010). The most common fumonisin produced by A. niger is FB2 at high amounts of carbohydrate or NaCl (Frisvad et al, 2007), although additional FB4 can be produced in agar cultures (Noonim et al, 2009) and other fumonisins forms (FB1-4) are found on A. niger contaminated dried raisins (Varga et al, 2010).…”

“…Mycotoxins are produced by fungi that pre-harvest infect agricultural crops (field mycotoxins) or post-harvest agricultural commodities stored under certain temperature and humidity conditions (storage mycotoxins) (Magan et al, 2010;Bryden, 2012). Meat products can also be contaminated with mycotoxins (Mizáková et al, 2002;Sorensen et al, 2010;Ostry et al, 2013), and animal by-products could hence be a potential source for these mycotoxins in animal feeds (Caruso et al, 2013). The mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is under EU feed regulation (EU, 2002), while guidance values have been set for animal feed ingredients and animal feed for several mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), ochratoxin A (OTA), and fumonisin B1 + B2 (FB1 + FB2) (EC, 2006).…”