Mycotoxins survey of 2021 harvested corn from different regions of Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Croatia

In this survey, 200 samples were analysed for multiple mycotoxins. The corn samples were all analysed by LC-MS/ MS triple quadrupole (Agilent 6460 series) using a multi-mycotoxin method for quantification of all mycotoxins present.

⇰ These included Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), B₂, G₁ and G₂, Ochratoxin A (OTA), Zearalenone (ZEN), Deoxynivalenol (DON), Fumonisin B₁ and B₂ (FB₁ and FB₂), T-2 and HT-2 toxins that are all regulated in the EU in feed by EU Directives 2002/32/EC, 2006/576/EC, and 2013/165/EU.

The results of this survey per country are presented as follows.

• ⇰ Part 1: Mycotoxins results per country (Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Croatia)
• ⇰ Part 2: RMycotoxins results for Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Croatia combined
• ⇰ Conclusions

MYCOTOXIN RESULTS PER COUNTRY

In 2021, 17 % of the corn samples from Serbia were not contaminated with mycotoxins whereas 83% samples were found to contain one or more than one mycotoxin (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Number of mycotoxins per corn sample from Serbia.

DON, with an average of 215 ppb, ZEN with 40 ppb, AFB₁ with 14 ppb, T-2 with 47 ppb, FB₁ with 4700 ppb, FB2 with 1722 ppb and HT-2 with an average of 61 ppb were detected in 2021 harvested corn samples from different regions of Serbia.

FB₁ was the most predominant mycotoxin as it was detected in 79% of the tested samples followed by AFB1 in 20 % of the corn samples (Table 1).