EN 17521 Standard Test for Foodstuffs, SPE Cleaning and Determination of Alternaria Toxins in Tomato, Wheat and Sunflower Seeds by HPLC-MS-MS

EUROLAB laboratory provides testing and compliance services within the scope of EN 17521 standard. This European standard specifies a method for the determination of five Alternaria toxins in samples of wheat, tomato juice and sunflower seeds by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS).

Alternaria species, the most common being A. alternata, produce more than 70 secondary metabolites, but only a few of these have been constitutively identified and reported as mycotoxins.

Alternaria fungi are common plant pests in grains, oilseeds, fruit and vegetables, among other foods, and the presence of Alternaria toxins in these products has been widely reported. These toxins not only contaminate crops, they can also spoil foods at refrigerator temperatures.

Among these Alternaria toxins, altenuene (ALT), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), tentoxin (TEN) and tenuazonic acid (TEA) are of greatest concern. ALT, AOH, AME are dibenzo-apyrones, TEN is a cyclic tetrapeptide and TEA is a tetramic acid derivative. ALT and TEA showed high acute toxicity in vitro and in animal experiments.

EUROLAB assists manufacturers with EN 17521 test compliance. Our test experts, with their professional working mission and principles, provide you, our manufacturers and suppliers, the best service and controlled testing process in our laboratories. Thanks to these services, businesses receive more effective, high-performance and quality testing services and provide safe, fast and uninterrupted service to their customers.