A sensitive and validated HPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of seven coccidiostats in bovine whole milk

Sensitive and reliable methods for the identification and quantification of coccidiostats in milk are needed as the European Parliament had established maximum level for these substances in milk (). This study presents a method for the simultaneous extraction, identification, and quantification of seven coccidiostats (robenidine, decoquinate, monensin, salinomycin, lasalocid, maduramicin, and narasin) in bovine whole milk. The method was validated in-house in accordance with the European . Recoveries, decision limit, and limit of quantification values ranged from 69 to 109%, 9.9–18.4 μg kg−1, and 0.4–1.0 μg kg−1, respectively. The method was successfully applied to a total of 120 samples obtained from dairy farms located in the northwest of Spain, and decoquinate was detected in one of them.