Generation of occurrence data on citrinin in food

Abstract

A total of 1,195 samples of industry cereals, plant derived raw materials and foods including 92 samples of Red Yeast Rice food supplements (RYR), available on the European market were analysed for the presence of the mycotoxin citrinin (CIT). The samples, of which 13% came from organic production, were collected from industrial premises and retail stores, between September 2015 and November 2016, in eight European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden). These samples comprised 390 industry cereals (wheat, barley, rye, oats, rice), 510 cereal-based products from retail (flour, rice retail, bread and bread rolls, pasta (dry), breakfast cereals (flakes & muesli)), 92 RYR and 203 other products (beans, and fruit and vegetable juices). The 92 RYR samples were retrieved from retail stores and internet in Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. Samples were analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The methods were subsequently implemented and in-house validated by each participant and were considered fit for purpose. The limits of quantification (LOQ) for the various food groups were: 10 μg/kg for RYR and 1 μg/kg for the rest of matrices. Citrinin was detected at concentrations above the LOQs in 6% of the industry cereals, 3% of the cereal-based products from retail, and in 26% of RYR samples. No citrinin was detected in beans and (fruit and vegetable) juices. RYR food supplements were the most prone samples to contamination with citrinin. Citrinin was detected above the EU legal limit of 2,000 µg/kg in three of the RYR samples.