Testing a method for Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds
What it found
A new lab method measured five Alternaria toxins in sunflower seeds, wheat and tomato puree, and 23 labs across Europe tested it.
The method picked up the toxins at levels close to or below 1 µg/kg.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Health concerns from the toxins
The paper notes that altenuene and tenuazonic acid have shown high acute toxicity in lab tests and animal experiments. Alternariol and its methyl ether have been described as causing mutagenic, carcinogenic, cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.
Other findings
Method performance
Across all three foods, the method recovered 82 to 116% of each toxin, and its repeatability and reproducibility stayed within the study's targets. The authors say this shows the method is suitable for monitoring mycotoxins in food.
Toxin levels in sunflower seeds
The highest levels of tentoxin reported in earlier surveys were in sunflower seeds, at 82 µg/kg, where it was present in almost half the samples. Tenuazonic acid was found in more than 80% of sunflower seed and oil samples, with a maximum of 1350 µg/kg.
Toxins in other foods
Earlier data showed the highest average levels of alternariol in buckwheat and oats, and of tenuazonic acid in dried tomato soup, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato puree. Tenuazonic acid was also found in fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup and juice.
Exposure estimate
An estimate of dietary exposure to tenuazonic acid at the 95th percentile exceeded the threshold of toxicological concern by a factor of 1.4, and by 2.4 for infants. The authors say this raises toxicological concerns.
Method details
The method uses isotope-labelled internal standards and LC-MS/MS to measure altenuene, alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, tenuazonic acid and tentoxin. It enabled determination of all five toxins close to or below 1 µg/kg.
What the authors conclude
“The first international interlaboratory study for the validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of ATs in tomato, wheat, and sunflower seeds was successfully conducted.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the first international interlaboratory study for validating an LC-MS/MS method for Alternaria toxins in tomato, wheat and sunflower seeds was successfully conducted.
- They state that the technical improvements, namely the use of isotopically labelled internal standards, proved crucial for delivering performance parameters fully in compliance with the requirements for mycotoxin analysis.
- They conclude that the method is suitable for determining mycotoxins in food and seems a good candidate for standardization.
How it was done
Alternaria toxins are common contaminants in widely eaten foods, and the authors say reliable analytical methods are needed both to protect people's health and to keep the European market running smoothly. No standard method existed yet.
Twenty-three laboratories from 11 EU Member States, the United Kingdom and Switzerland analysed 30 blind test samples of tomato puree, wheat and sunflower seeds. The samples included naturally contaminated and spiked materials at five contamination levels, and the labs had 7 weeks to report results.
What it can’t tell you
- This study tested how well a laboratory method measures toxins in food. It did not test whether eating these foods affects people's health.
- The paper reports levels of toxins found in foods in earlier surveys, but it does not show what happens when people eat them.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by European Committee for standardization (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Joint Research Centre (JRC), Belgium
The paper
- Title
- Determination of Alternaria Toxins in Tomato, Wheat, and Sunflower Seeds by SPE and LC-MS/MS-A Method Validation Through a Collaborative Trial
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Gonçalves C, Tölgyesi Á, Bouten K, Robouch P, Emons H, Stroka J (2022). Determination of Alternaria Toxins in Tomato, Wheat, and Sunflower Seeds by SPE and LC-MS/MS-A Method Validation Through a Collaborative Trial. Journal of AOAC International. doi:10.1093/jaoacint/qsab094Free full textPubMed 34293145DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error