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 μg kg−1 concentration range, with correlation coefficient >0.99. The limits of detection for the analytes are in the range 0.001–0.92 μg 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.