Aflatoxin M1 determination in cheese by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A new method for determining aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in cheese by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry has been developed. Two methodologies were compared for sample extraction. The first one involves sample extraction with dichloromethane for hard, aged cheese or acetone for fresh cheese and includes a preliminary matrix solid-phase dispersion–extraction step before solid-phase extraction (SPE) clean-up by a Carbograph-4 cartridge. The second method uses a water/methanol solution (90:10, v/v) extraction at 150 °C before clean-up. The average recoveries of AFM1 from samples spiked at levels of 0.25–0.45 μg/kg, were 81–92% and the precision (RSD) ranged from 3 to 7% with the first method, whilst the average recoveries were 79–84%, and RSD ranged from 7 to 15% for the second method. Due to different matrix effect, the quantification limits were 0.019–0.025 μg/kg in the first case and 0.048–0.143 μg/kg in the second one, depending on cheese typology.