New analytical frontiers in mycotoxin research

To deal with the increasing number of mycotoxins to be monitored and restrictions of the European Union about maximum levels, innovative analytical approaches continue to be developed. Appropriate analytical tools for food analysis require fast and reliable screening method as well as highly selective and high-throughput confirmatory methods, both capable of determining low concentrations of these toxins in foodstuff. Over recent years the mycotoxin method development polarized between two approaches on opposite sides of the analytical spectrum. The first has been the development of rapid screening methods for a variety of analytes based on immunochemical techniques, such as ELISA or lateral flow devices. The second is the development of highly sophisticated multianalyte methods based on liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry for identification and simultaneous quantification of a wide range of contaminants. This chapter reviews the new developments in mycotoxin analysis in food, their advantages, and drawbacks drawing the future research directions in the field.