scope:

This document describes a method for the determination of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in cereals and cereal-based products, e.g. oats, intended for nutrition of infants and young children by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) after cleanup by solid phase extraction (SPE) [5].

The method has been validated for HT-2 toxin in oat flour at levels of 9,3 μg/kg and 28,1 μg/kg, oat flakes at levels of 16,5 μg/kg and 21,4 μg/kg, and breakfast cereals (containing oat flakes) at a level of 8,1 μg/kg and for T-2 toxin in oat flour at levels of 4,4 μg/kg and 8,3 μg/kg, oat flakes at levels of 4,9 μg/kg and 6,6 μg/kg and breakfast cereals (containing oat flakes) at a level of 3,5 μg/kg.

Laboratory experiences [6] have shown that the method is also applicable to highly swelling materials (dry cereal-based porridges and modified starches), but these were not examined in the method validation study. Details are outlined in 7.3.

The method can also be applied to oat-by-products at higher levels of T-2- and HT-2 toxin. In this case, the dilution steps need to be considered [6].

The method can also be applied to cereals and cereal products for infants and young children based on e.g. wheat, barley and rice. In this case, the method needs to be in-house-validated for each material. At the time of the interlaboratory study, planned range was 10 μg/kg to 100 μg/kg, and it is known from the pre-study that the method works well in the whole range, although final validation was only done in the range from 3,5 μg/kg to 28,1 μg/kg.