Development of a simple screening method for analyzing cereulide toxin in fried rice using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

The presence of cereulide, an emetic toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, in fried rice samples is critical evidence of food poisoning even in situations where B. cereus could not be detected. This study aims to develop a screening method for analyzing cereulide in fried rice using the QuEChERS procedure and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Cereulide was identified and quantified in fried rice samples using the QuEChERS extraction method and LC–MS/MS. The accuracies of the methods were determined by analyzing fortified blank samples at two concentrations (10 and 50 µg/kg) conducted on three samples daily for five days. The QuEChERS procedure removed matrix compounds from fried rice. Characteristic MS/MS spectra enabled the identification of cereulide. As the matrix effects in seven fried rice samples were within ± 6