Determination of Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 and Ochratoxin A in Dry Fermented Sausages Using a Dilute and Shoot Method and LC–MS/MS

The presence of mycotoxins in meat and meat products can result from contaminated feed carry-over, from contamination with toxigenic molds during processing and storage, and from contaminated spices and ingredients. The occurrence of mycotoxins in dry fermented sausage is described worldwide; however, scarce information is available for Brazilian products. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in dry fermented sausage. For that, a simple and accurate “dilute and shoot” method by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was validated in accordance with the criteria set by European and Brazilian guidelines. Fat removal from the samples did not improve recoveries. The recoveries at three different concentration levels (4, 9, and 15 µg/kg) after outlier treatment ranged from 81 to 94%. The method showed good linearity in the matrix ( R 2 ≥ 0.9974), the limits of detection varied from 0.96 up to 0.97 µg/kg, and the limits of quantification ranged from 3.18 up to 3.22 µg/kg. Twenty-seven samples of industrial dry fermented sausage from the market were analyzed and none of the mycotoxins of interest was detected.