Determination of Fusarium mycotoxins beauvericin and enniatins (A, A1, B, B1) in eggs of laying hens using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)

An existing sample preparation technique used for the determination of ionophoric coccidiostats was modified to permit the analysis of Fusarium mycotoxins beauvericin and enniatins in egg samples. The validation results indicated that the sample preparation method developed is well applicable to the determination of the related compounds in eggs. The presence and contamination levels of beauvericin and enniatins A, A1, B and B1 were studied in Finnish egg samples in 2004–2005. The egg sample analyses (112 whole eggs and 367 egg yolk) revealed that the occurrence of beauvericin as well as enniatins B and B1 is very common in Finnish eggs. The contaminations were, however, in most cases in trace-levels (