Multimycotoxin Determination in Tunisian Farm Animal Feed

Mycotoxins presence was evaluated in animal feed marketed in Tunisia for the first time ever. A QuEChERS method was performed to analyze the natural copresence of 22 mycotoxins (enniatins, beauvericin, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins, alternariol monomethyl ether, alternariol, tentoxin, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, 3‐acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15‐acetyldeoxynivalenol, nivalenol, neosolaniol, diacetoxyscirpenol, T‐2 toxin, and HT‐2 toxin) in 122 Tunisian marketed feed samples, intended for poultry (n = 43), cattle (n = 35), rabbit (n = 12), sheep (n = 16), and horse (n = 16). Analytes detection and quantification were done using both liquid chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The analytical method showed good linearity (R > 0.996) and sensitivity, the limits of quantification ranged from 0.1 ng/g (enniatin A1) to 225 ng/g (3‐acetyldeoxynivalenol). Eighty‐five percent of the analyzed samples were positive. Poultry (n = 43) and rabbit (n = 12) feed samples were the most contaminated. Enniatin B was the most prevalent mycotoxin with values ranged between 0.5 ng/g for horse feed and 40 ng/g for poultry feed, followed by deoxynivalenol detected from 16 ng/g in cattle feed to 250 ng/g in poultry feed. None exceeded the limits set by EU recommendations for animal feed. Mycotoxins co‐occurrence was observed at most by five different mycotoxins (26%) and up to eight mycotoxins was recorded in 5% of samples. Furthermore, a relatively high copresence rate of different fusariotoxins was registered. Even if no toxicological concern was clearly revealed, the contamination is a real fact and will probably present influence on meat production and on food safety.