Mycotoxins can cause toxicity when ingested by humans and animals. Although the rumen is supposed to be a barrier against mycotoxins, some studies demonstrate that carry-over of mycotoxins to milk is possible. Different studies have found mycotoxin levels in animal milk, mainly related to contaminated feed for ruminants. Aflatoxin M1 is the most studied mycotoxin in milk and levels exceeding the EU maximum level for this mycotoxin in this matrix (0.050 μg/kg) have been found. Maximum levels in milk for other mycotoxins have not been established; however ochratoxin A, aflatoxins G1, G2, B1, B2 and M2, fumonisin B1, cyclopiazonic acid, zearalenone and its metabolites and deepoxydeoxynivalenol have also been found in milk samples. Taking into account that multi-exposure to mycotoxins is the most likely scenario and co-occurrence of mycotoxins could affect their toxicological effects in humans and animals, there is a need to determine the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in milk.

The simultaneous quantification of 15 mycotoxins in cow milk by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, is presented. Extraction was performed with acidified acetonitrile, followed by a cleanup step with sodium acetate. During validation limits of detection (LOD) and quantification, linearity, precision, accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, and stability were studied. LOD values were between 0.02 and 10.14ng/mL for aflatoxins M1, B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxins A and B, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, deepoxy-deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, sterigmatocystin and fumonisins B1, B2 and B3. Recovery values were between 82.6 and 94.4% for all the mycotoxins, except for fumonisins. The recovery values for fumonisins were between 42.1% and 64.6%. Matrix effect, between 25.5 and 96.8%, appeared for all of the mycotoxins, especially for deepoxy-deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and sterigmatocystin. The validated method achieves the quantification of those mycotoxins of major concern and mycotoxins that are not frequently studied in milk, such as fumonisins, sterigmatocystin or ochratoxin B.

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All the mycotoxins suffered from matrix effects, especially DON.

We surveyed the presence of 22 mycotoxins in 191 Spanish cow milk samples. Mycotoxins could be carried over from diet into animal milk and have toxic effects on human and animal health. The interaction of different mycotoxins may be additive or synergetic. Therefore, surveillance of mycotoxin co-occurrence in milk is recommended. Aflatoxins M, B, B, G, and G, ochratoxins A and B, nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, deepoxy-deoxynivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, fusarenon X, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, fumonisins B, B, and B, sterigmatocystin, and zearalenone were analyzed. Samples were treated by liquid-liquid extraction with acidified acetonitrile, followed by an acetonitrile-water phase separation using sodium acetate. The analysis was carried out by HPLC coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. None of the analyzed mycotoxins had a concentration level higher than their detection limit (0.05-10.1 µg/L). The aflatoxin M in the samples never exceeded the level established by the European Union.