T-2 toxin, zearalenone and fumonisin B1 in feedstuffs from China

A total of 420 feedstuff samples were collected from China to determine and quantify T-2 toxin (T-2), zearalenone (ZEN) and fumonisin B-1 (FB1). The contents of mycotoxins were determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with three-step cleanup and fluorescence detection. The mean recoveries of mycotoxins in spiked feedstuffs ranged from 72.2% to 95%. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 1.8 to 5.7 and 6 to 19 mu g/kg, respectively. Of the 420 analysed feedstuff samples, the incidence of T-2, ZEN and FB1 was 79.5%, 85.2% and 96.1%, respectively; levels detected ranged from 10-735, 35-1478 and 20-6568 mu g/kg, respectively. The results suggest a risk for domestic animals and humans. Further, the procedure was found to be suitable for determination of mycotoxins in feedstuffs and can be used for routine analysis. This is the first report in China on natural contamination of feedstuffs with these mycotoxins.