Natural occurrence of Fusarium toxins in soy food marketed in Germany

Abstract

A total of 45 samples of soy food including whole beans, roasted soy nuts, flour and flakes, textured soy protein, tofu, proteinisolate including infant formulas and fermented products (soy sauce) were randomly collected in food and health food stores and analysed for Fusarium toxins. A spectrum of 13 trichothecenes of the A-type as well as of the B-type were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, zearalenone (ZEA), α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZOL) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence and UV-detection. Detection limits ranged between 1 and 19 μg/kg. At least one of the toxins investigated was detected in 11 out of a total of 45 samples of soy food belonging to different commodities. Scirpentriol (SCIRP), 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, T-2 tetraol, HT-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), 15- and 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, ZEA, α- and β-ZOL were detected in at least one sample, T-2 triol, T-2, NEO, NIV and FUS-X were not detected in any sample. Five out of 11 samples were positive for one toxin, one sample for two, three, six or seven toxins, two samples for 5 toxins, demonstrating the possibility of a contamination of soy food with a spectrum of Fusarium toxins. SCIRP, DON and ZEA were found up to 108, 260 and 214 μg/kg, the other toxins did not exceed 61 μg/kg. A first insight into the contamination of soy food with a broad spectrum of Fusarium toxins is provided.