Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by certain molds that grow on crops such as grains, nuts, coffee, and even fruits. They can sneak into our food supply without any warning—you can’t see, smell, or taste them. Some mycotoxins are linked to serious health issues, including liver damage, immune system suppression, hormone disruption, and even cancer. Children are especially vulnerable because their bodies are still developing.
That’s why testing is so necessary. Standard food safety checks often miss these contaminants, especially when they are present in small amounts but still pose risks over time. To truly understand the extent of the problem, we require advanced, highly sensitive detection methods.
What is LC-MS/MS?
When we test food for mycotoxins, we need tools that can see what our eyes—and even basic lab tests—cannot. That’s where Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) comes in.
Think of it as a super-powered microscope for chemicals, but instead of showing us what something looks like, it tells us precisely what molecules are present and in what amounts.
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Liquid Chromatography is like a sorting machine. It separates all the different compounds in a food sample—kind of like sending each ingredient in a soup down its own path so they don’t get mixed up.
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Mass Spectrometry is the detector. Once the compounds are separated, they measure their “fingerprints” based on weight and structure.
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Tandem Mass Spectrometry (the “double” step) takes this a step further by breaking the molecules apart and confirming their identity with even greater accuracy.
Put together, LC-MS/MS can detect tiny traces of contaminants—down to parts per billion or even parts per trillion. To put that in perspective, it’s like finding a single drop of ink in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Due to its sensitivity and precision, LC-MS/MS is regarded as the gold standard for detecting mycotoxins and other foodborne toxins. It allows us to measure dozens of toxins at once, even when they’re present in very low amounts that ordinary tests would miss.1
1. Kresse M, Drinda H, Romanotto A, Speer K. Simultaneous determination of pesticides, mycotoxins, and metabolites as well as other contaminants in cereals by LC-LC-MS/MS. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2019;1117:86–102.