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An HPLC method with UV detector was developed for the determination of DEHP phthalate ester in the alcoholic beverage "Ouzo". Phthalate esters are added to plastic packaging for food and beverages to increase flexibility, transparency, strength, and longevity. When these substances come into contact with food or beverages, they can lead to the migration of phthalate residues into the product. This paper presents a two-step process involving extraction of the sample with hexane and separation of the phthalates by HPLC. The method was validated for specificity, linearity, limit of quantification, accuracy, precision, range, and ruggedness. The linear range is 0.3–1.5 mg/L DEHP, with a lower limit of quantification of 0.06 mg/L. The precision study showed acceptable RSD values, and the working range is 0.3 to 1.5 mg/L DEHP. The relative standard uncertainty of DEHP determination in Ouzo was ±8%. The results show that the in-house method is suitable, reliable, and fit-for-purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of reliable sensitive multi-analyte methods for unambiguous determination of mycotoxins is crucial for ensuring food and feed safety, considering their adverse health effects and (co-)occurrence in various foods. Accordingly, a multi-mycotoxin confirmatory method for simultaneous determination of 11 mycotoxins regulated in cereals within the European Union (EU) using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was developed and in-house validated to fit the EU legislation requirements for analytical methods. A simple sample preparation was based on a solid–liquid extraction using a solvent mixture acetonitrile/water/formic acid (79/20/1, v/v/v) and a dilution of raw extract using water/acetonitrile/formic acid (79/20/1, v/v/v) before instrumental analysis. Average recoveries in all three validated cereal crop types (maize, wheat, and barley), spiked at multiple levels, were found acceptable for all analytes when matrix-matched calibration was used, ranging from 63.2% to 111.2% and also showing very good repeatability, with relative standard deviations below 20%. Matrix effect (SSE) evaluation revealed maize as the most complex of the three analyzed cereal matrices, with strong SSE (<50% and >150%) recorded for all 11 analyzed mycotoxins. An additional method verification was performed through successful participation in proficiency testing schemes, with the achieved z-scores generally in the acceptable range of −2 ≤ z ≤ 2. The obtained validation results demonstrated the suitability of the developed confirmatory multi-mycotoxin UHPLC-MS/MS method based on a dilute-and-shoot principle for the simultaneous determination of low concentrations of 11 EU-regulated mycotoxins in cereals, including aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins B1 and B2, zearalenone, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, and ochratoxin A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]