Mycotoxins are a major source of contamination in cereals, posing risks to human health and causing significant economic losses to the industry. A comprehensive strategy for the analysis of 21 mycotoxins in Italian cereal grain samples (n = 200) was developed using a simple and quick sample preparation method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC Q-Orbitrap HRMS). The proposed method showed some advantages, such as multi-mycotoxin analyses with simple sample preparation, fast determination, and high sensitivity. The analysis of the sample revealed the presence of 11 mycotoxins, with α-zearalenol being the most frequently detected, while deoxynivalenol exhibited the highest contamination level. Furthermore, co-occurrence was identified in 15.5% of the samples under analysis. Among these, 13% of the samples reported the simultaneous presence of two mycotoxins, while 2.5% showed the co-occurrence of three mycotoxins. Currently, there has been a renewed interest in guaranteeing the quality and safety of products intended for human consumption. This study holds significant value due to its ability to simultaneously detect multiple mycotoxins within a complex matrix. Furthermore, it provides findings regarding the occurrence and co-occurrence of emerging mycotoxins that currently lack regulation under the existing European Commission Regulation.
Keywords: UHPLC Q-Orbitrap HRMS; co-occurrence; grain samples; mycotoxins.