Liquid chromatographic method for the quantification of zearalenone in baby food and animal feed: interlaboratory study

An interlaboratory trial for determination of zearalenone (ZON) in baby food and animal feed was conducted. The study involved 39 participants in 16 European Union member states, as well as Turkey, Uruguay, and China, representing a cross-section of industry, and official food control and research institutes. The method is based on immunoaffinity column cleanup followed by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorimetry (HPLC-FI). The test portion of the sample is extracted with methanol-water (75 + 25, v/v). The sample extract is filtered, diluted, and passed over an immunoaffinity column. ZON is eluted with methanol. The separation and determination of ZON is performed by reversed-phase HPLC-FI with an excitation wavelength of 274 nm and an emission wavelength of 446 nm. Test portions of the samples were spiked at levels of 20 and 30 microg/kg ZON in baby food and at levels of 100 and 150 microg/kg ZON in animal feed. Mean recoveries from each participant ranged from 78 to 119% with an average value of 92% for baby food and from 51 to 122% with an average value of 74% for animal feed. Based on results for spiked samples (blind duplicates at 2 levels), as well as naturally contaminated samples (blind duplicates at 3 levels), the relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) in baby food ranged from 2.8 to 9.0%. For animal feed, this value ranged from 5.7 to 9.5%. The relative standard deviation for reproducibility (RSDR) in baby food ranged from 8.2 to 13.3%, and for animal feed this value ranged from 15.5 to 21.4%. The Horwitz ratio (HorRat) in baby food ranged from 0.3 to 0.4, and for animal feed this value ranged from 0.6 to 0.9. The method showed acceptable within- and between-laboratory precision for each matrix, as required by European legislation.