Determining mycotoxins in baby foods and animal feeds using stable isotope dilution and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

We developed a stable isotope dilution assay with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to determine multiple mycotoxins in baby foods and animal feeds. Samples were fortified with [13C]-uniformly labeled mycotoxins as internal standards ([13C]-IS) and prepared by solvent extraction (50% acetonitrile in water) and filtration, followed by LC–MS/MS analysis. Mycotoxins in each sample were quantitated with the corresponding [13C]-IS. In general, recoveries of aflatoxins (2–100 ng/g), deoxynivalenol, fumonisins (50–2000 ng/g), ochratoxin A (20–1000 ng/kg), T-2 toxin, and zearalenone (40–2000 ng/g) in tested matrices (grain/rice/oatmeal-based formula, animal feed, dry cat/dog food) ranged from 70 to 120% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) <20%. The method provides sufficient selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy, and reproducibility to screen for aflatoxins at ng/g concentrations and deoxynivalenol and fumonisins at low μg/g concentrations in baby foods and animal feeds, without using co...