Comparative assessment of three cleanup procedures after QuEChERS extraction for determination of trichothecenes (type A and type B) in processed cereal-based baby foods by GC-MS

A QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) method was optimized and validated for the simultaneous extraction of 12 trichothecenes (type A and type B) from baby foods, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Using this methodology, limits of detection and quantification ranging from 0.37 to 19.19 μg/kg and 1.24 to 63.33 μg/kg, respectively, were achieved. Mean recoveries between 44% and 135% were obtained and repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, was always lower than 29%. A comparison between the developed method and two alternative cleanup procedures (MultiSep and IAC - immunoaffinity columns) was performed, being the advantages and drawbacks of each one presented. The screening of nine commercially available cereal-based baby foods revealed the presence of 4 out of 12 studied trichothecenes: DON (deoxynivalenol), 15AcDON (15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol), T2-Tetrol and NEO (Neosolaniol). DON was the most commonly found, being detected in 4 samples in significant levels (29-270 μg/kg), sometimes exceeding the maximum permitted level. 15AcDON, T2-Tetrol and NEO were found only in one sample each.