A survey on mycotoxins detected in corn samples received from Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina during August to November 2017

The aim of the corn survey 2017 was to screen corn samples received from Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina during August to November 2017. The samples were analysed by UHPLC-based multi-mycotoxin method for the determination and quantitation of all mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2, Ochratoxin A, Zearalenone, Deoxynivalenol, Fumonisin B1&B2, T-2 &HT-2 toxins) regulated in feed (EU Directive 2002/32/EC, 2006/576/EC and 2013/165/EU) by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The method is based on “dilute and shoot” principle. It involves two-step extraction and centrifugation of the extracts. To compensate the matrix effects in electrospray ionization, the extracts are mixed with [13C] labelled internal standards for each group of mycotoxins U-[13C17]-AB1, U-[13C15]-DON, U-[13C18]-ZON, U-[13C20]-OTA, U-[13C34]-FB1 and U-[13C24]-T-2 before injection onto LC-MS/MS (Agilent 6460c LC-MS/MS).

A total of 113 samples were received for analysis at Patent Co., Mišicevo, Serbia.
53 % samples were found contaminated with mycotoxins and 28% of these contaminated samples were found to contain more than one mycotoxins.
Aflatoxin B1 (AB1), Fumonisin B1 (FB1), Fumonisin B2 (FB2) and HT-2 were detected in 13%, 44%, 24% and 8% samples.
AB1 ranging from 0.59 to 5644 ppb, HT-2 ranging from 9 to 66 ppb, FB2 ranging from 53 to 2540 ppb and FB1 ranging from 48 to 8623 ppb, were detected in corn samples.

Therefore, this survey concludes that the corn harvested in 2017 has high levels of Aflatoxin B1, Fumonisin B1, Fumonisin B2 in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina regions.

This poster was presented at the World Mycotoxin Forum, which was held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 12-14 March 2018.