Determination of mycotoxins in plant-based beverages using QuEChERS and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 11 mycotoxins in plant-based beverage matrices, using a QuEChERS extraction followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry detection (UHPLC-(ESI)MS/MS). This multi-mycotoxin method was applied to analyse plant-based beverages such as soy, oat and rice. QuEChERS extraction was applied obtaining suitable extraction recoveries between 80 and 91%, and good repeatability and reproducibility values. Method Quantification Limits were between 0.05μgL (for aflatoxin G and aflatoxin B) and 15μgL (for deoxynivalenol and fumonisin B). This is the first time that plant-based beverages have been analysed, and certain mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin B, aflatoxin B, aflatoxin G, aflatoxin G, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin and zearalenone, were found in the analysed samples, and some of them quantified between 0.1μgL and 19μgL.