Regulated Mycotoxin Occurrence and Co-Occurrence in Croatian Cereals

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Agricultural Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed commodities.
• EU regulations set maximum limits for several mycotoxins in foodstuffs to protect consumer health.
• Cereal crops are susceptible to fungal infections and subsequent mycotoxin contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the occurrence and co-occurrence of EU-regulated mycotoxins in various cereal crops grown in Croatia.
• To identify the most prevalent mycotoxins and contaminated cereal types.
• To assess compliance with EU legislation regarding mycotoxin levels in cereals.

Main Methods:

• Collection of 209 cereal samples (maize, wheat, barley, rye, oats) from Croatian fields in 2016 and 2017.
• Analysis using a validated confirmatory liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method.
• Application of a dilute and shoot principle for sample preparation.

Main Results:

• Fusarium mycotoxins were the predominant contaminants, frequently co-occurring in samples (50.0% in 2016, 33.7% in 2017).
• Deoxynivalenol (DON) was the most frequent mycotoxin (72.5% in 2016, 32.6% in 2017).
• Maize showed the highest contamination, primarily with fumonisins (average 1180 µg/kg).
• Environmental conditions influenced mycotoxin accumulation: humidity favored DON in wheat and fumonisins in maize.
• Non-compliant samples exceeding EU limits were found: 8.3% in 2016 and 7.9% in 2017.

Conclusions:

• Fusarium mycotoxins, especially DON, are significant contaminants in Croatian cereals.
• Maize is particularly vulnerable to contamination, necessitating targeted monitoring.
• Environmental factors play a crucial role in mycotoxin accumulation.
• A notable percentage of cereal harvests exceeded EU mycotoxin limits, posing a food safety concern.