This document specifies a procedure for the determination of nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetyl derivatives (3-acetyl-DON and 15-acetyl-DON), HT-2 and T-2 toxins (HT-2 and T-2) and zearalenone (ZEN) in cereals and cereal products by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) after clean-up by solid phase extraction (SPE).
The method has been validated with samples of wheat, wheat flour, and wheat crackers. The wheat and the wheat flour was prepared from a mixture of wheat and fungi infected wheat kernels. The wheat crackers were baked from wheat flour and water spiked with the target mycotoxins.
Validation levels for NIV ranged from 27,7 µg/kg to 378 µg/kg.
Validation levels for DON ranged from 234 µg/kg to 2420 µg/kg.
Validation levels for 3-acetyl-DON ranged from 18,5 µg/kg to 137 µg/kg.
Validation levels for 15-acetyl-DON ranged from 11,4 µg/kg to 142 µg/kg.
Validation levels for HT-2 ranged from 6,6 µg/kg to 134 µg/kg.
Validation levels for T-2 ranged from 2,1 µg/kg to 37,6 µg/kg.
Validation levels for ZEN ranged from 31,6 µg/kg to 230 µg/kg.
Laboratory experiences have shown that this method is also applicable to barley and oat flour, and rye based crackers [5], however, this has not been validated in a collaborative study.