TY - JOUR T1 - Development and validation of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the detection of zearalenone and its metabolites in cereal-based infant formulas TT - Development and validation of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the detection of zearalenone and its metabolites in cereal-based infant formulas AU - Karahalil, Bensu AU - Aksakal, Tevfik Bülent PY - 2025 DA - January Y2 - 2024 DO - 10.3153/FH25004 JF - Food and Health JO - Food Health PB - Özkan ÖZDEN WT - DergiPark SN - 2602-2834 SP - 41 EP - 56 VL - 11 IS - 1 LA - en AB - Food safety is a high priority for human health. Chemical substances contaminated at different stages can cause acute and chronic health problems. Infants are one of the essential risk groups. Studies on endocrine disruptors are particularly important as these substances have many undesirable consequences for future generations, notably their impact on the reproductive system. Zearalenone (ZON), produced by Fusarium fungi, is an endocrine-disrupting mycotoxin with an estrogenic effect. Many species of fungi are localised on agricultural products such as corn, rice, and wheat. Feeding infants in the early stages of life with plant-based formula may lead to harmful effects of mycotoxins. We aimed to investigate whether commercially available cereal-based infant formulas are contaminated with ZON. Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine ZON and metabolites. The method was developed by optimisation studies in sample preparation. The process was accurate, selective, reproducible, and highly sensitive at concentrations below the maximum residue level. ZON was validated using two different working ranges (for 1st working range: 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 ng/g; r2 are 0.993, 0.995; 1.08 ng/g, LODs are 1.08, 1.01 and 1.2 ng/g; LOQs are 3.25, 3.01 and 3.62 ng/g, and 2nd working ranges: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ng/g; r2 are 0.996, 0.994, and 0.996; LODs are 0.20, 0.200 ng/g, 0.06 g/ng; LOQs are 0.18, 0.60 ng/g and 0.60 g/ng for ZON, α-ZOL and β-ZOL, respectively). Cereal-based infant formulas sold retail in the market were not contaminated with ZON and its metabolites. Infants consuming these products are not at risk from cereal-based formulas. KW - Cereal-based formulas KW - Endocrine disrupters KW - Fusarium mycotoxin KW - GC-MS KW - Infant KW - Zearalenone N2 - Food safety is a high priority for human health. Chemical substances contaminated at different stages can cause acute and chronic health problems. Infants are one of the essential risk groups. Studies on endocrine disruptors are particularly important as these substances have many undesirable consequences for future generations, notably their impact on the reproductive system. Zearalenone (ZON), produced by Fusarium fungi, is an endocrine-disrupting mycotoxin with an estrogenic effect. Many species of fungi are localised on agricultural products such as corn, rice, and wheat. Feeding infants in the early stages of life with plant-based formula may lead to harmful effects of mycotoxins. We aimed to investigate whether commercially available cereal-based infant formulas are contaminated with ZON. Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine ZON and metabolites. The method was developed by optimisation studies in sample preparation. The process was accurate, selective, reproducible, and highly sensitive at concentrations below the maximum residue level. ZON was validated using two different working ranges (for 1st working range: 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 ng/g; r2 are 0.993, 0.995; 1.08 ng/g, LODs are 1.08, 1.01 and 1.2 ng/g; LOQs are 3.25, 3.01 and 3.62 ng/g, and 2nd working ranges: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ng/g; r2 are 0.996, 0.994, and 0.996; LODs are 0.20, 0.200 ng/g, 0.06 g/ng; LOQs are 0.18, 0.60 ng/g and 0.60 g/ng for ZON, α-ZOL and β-ZOL, respectively). Cereal-based infant formulas sold retail in the market were not contaminated with ZON and its metabolites. Infants consuming these products are not at risk from cereal-based formulas. CR - Apffel, A., Zhao, L., Sartain, M.J. (2021). A Novel Solid Phase Extraction Sample Preparation Method for Lipidomic Analysis of Human Plasma Using Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. Metabolites, 11, 294. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo11050294 CR - Awuchi, C.G., Ondari, E.N., Ogbonna, C.U., Upadhyay, A.K., Baran, K., Okpala, C.O.R., Korzeniowska, M., Guiné R.P.F. (2021). 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