A mussel tissue certified reference material for multiple phycotoxins. Part 1: design and preparation

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety
• Marine Biology

Background:

• Accurate analysis of lipophilic shellfish toxins is crucial for public health and regulatory compliance.
• Existing certified reference materials (CRMs) are limited to single toxin groups, hindering comprehensive method validation.
• Multi-analyte methods using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry offer efficient screening but require robust reference standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a multi-analyte certified reference material (CRM) for lipophilic shellfish toxins.
• To enhance the accuracy and reliability of analytical methods for shellfish toxin detection.
• To provide a comprehensive reference standard for validating multi-analyte testing procedures.

Main Methods:

• International collaboration to produce a freeze-dried shellfish tissue homogenate (CRM-FDMT1).
• Incorporation of six major toxin groups: domoic acid, okadaic acid, dinophysistoxins, azaspiracids, pectenotoxin-2, yessotoxin, and 13-desmethylspirolide C.
• Freeze-drying technique for toxin stabilization, followed by milling and bottling for distribution.

Main Results:

• Successful production of CRM-FDMT1 containing a comprehensive profile of target shellfish toxins.
• Characterization of moisture content and particle size distribution confirmed suitability for analytical use.
• Preliminary analysis indicated a robust and reliable toxin profile within the reference material.

Conclusions:

• The newly developed CRM-FDMT1 significantly advances the availability of reference materials for lipophilic shellfish toxins.
• This CRM will improve the accuracy of multi-analyte liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods for shellfish toxin analysis.
• It provides essential support for regulatory agencies and research laboratories involved in seafood safety monitoring.