Three hundred and sixty-three samples of cereal-based infant foods were collected from the Canadian retail marketplace over 3 years. The samples included oat-, barley-, soy-, and rice-based infant cereals, mixed-grain infant cereals, teething biscuits, creamed corn, and soy-based formulas. Samples were analysed for targeted mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, HT-2 toxin, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, fumonisins B(1) and B(2), and five ergot alkaloids). Soy-based cereals (which usually contain corn) exhibited the highest incidences of deoxynivalenol (100%), zearalenone (46%) and fumonisins (75%). Overall, deoxynivalenol was the most frequently detected mycotoxin--it was detected in 63% of samples analysed. Survey results demonstrated the regular occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in cereal-based infant foods.

Between 1998 and 2000, 151 samples of raisins and sultanas and two samples of currants were collected from retail outlets across Canada and analysed for ochratoxin A. Samples were extracted with methanol-sodium bicarbonate, and the extracts were cleaned-up by immunoaffinity column chromatography. Ochratoxin A was quantified by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The minimum quantifiable level was 0.1 ng (g-1). Ochratoxin A was present, above the minimum quantifiable level, in 67 (79%) of 85 samples of raisins, in 39 (59%) of 66 samples of sultanas, and in both samples of currants. The overall mean level of ochratoxin A was 1.8 ng g(-1) in both the raisins and sultanas, and 2.8 ng g(-1) in the currants.

One-hundred and one specimens of coffee were gathered from retail outlets across Canada and analysed for ochratoxin A. Seventy-one specimens were roasted beans or roasted ground coffee, and 30 were instant (or 'soluble') coffees. All samples were extracted with methanol-sodium bicarbonate. The extracts were cleaned up either by immunoaffinity column chromatography or by a combination of solid-phase extraction and immunoaffinity column chromatography. Ochratoxin A was quantified by liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection. The minimum quantifiable level was 0.1 ng g(-1). Ochratoxin A was present, above the minimum quantifiable level, in 42 (59%) of 71 beans and ground coffee and in 20 (67%) of 30 instant coffees. The mean ochratoxin A level in the positive samples of beans and ground coffee was 0.6 ng g(-1), and the mean level in the positive samples of instant coffee was 1.1 ng g(-1).

A previously published method for the determination of deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV) in grains by capillary gas chromatography (GC) with electron-capture detection (ECD) has been modified to include HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2) and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS). Recoveries of the five trichothecenes from wheat averaged 71-92% in the range 0.8-4 micrograms/g. Detection or quantitation limits found in two laboratories were from 0.02 to 0.4 micrograms/g, with those for T-2 and DAS at the high end of this range. The method proved of practical use in survey work for the screening and determination of these trichothecenes in wheat from the 1987 western Canadian crop. There were no false positives for HT-2, T-2 and DON in durum and HY-320 wheat. However, interferences precluded the determination of 4- and 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol (MAS) by GC-ECD. The natural occurrence of HT-2 toxin (0.06-0.59 micrograms/g) was demonstrated by GC-ECD and confirmed by GC-mass spectrometry (MS) in 23 samples of durum and HY-320 wheats (1986 and 1987 crops); it was almost always accompanied by DON and in one sample a low concentration of NIV (0-05 micrograms/g). False positives for HT-2 and DAS in red spring wheat detected in 1987 by GC-ECD were 6% (nearly all identified as variety Katepwa) and 8%, respectively. Hence confirmation of suspected HT-2 and DAS by GC-MS is necessary, particularly with red spring wheat.

The natural occurrence of biologically active furanocoumarins in common vegetables is an area of increasing interest with respect to human health. In this study, an efficient, rugged, and sensitive liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet photodiode array detection was developed for the estimation of 5 biologically active furanocoumarins (psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, trioxsalen, and angelicin) in celery and parsnips. When authentic samples were spiked with a mixture of furanocoumarins at individual levels of 2 to 10 μg/g, the method produced overall recoveries of 77 and 75%of all furanocoumarins from celery and parsnips, respectively. The method was applied in 2 laboratories to a multiyear survey of more than 200 samples. Of 110 parsnips samples, 109 (99%) contained quantitatable levels of furanocoumarins. The mean level of total furanocoumarins in the positive parsnip samples was 15.1 μg/g; the maximum level detected was 145 μg/g. Of 114 celery samples, 88 (77%) contained quantitatable levels of furanocoumarins. The mean level of total furanocoumarins in the positive celery samples was 1.9 μg/g; the maximum level detected was 15.2 μg/g. Xanthotoxin and bergapten were the most commonly detected furanocoumarins in both celery (68 and 63%) and parsnips (97 and 96%). Xanthotoxin had the highest mean level of positives in both celery (1.3 μg/g) and parsnips (8.5 μg/g). Little year-to-year variation in either total furanocoumarin levels or incidence was noted.