Determination of patulin in apple juice by amine‐functionalized solid‐phase extraction coupled with isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

BACKGROUND Patulin is a mycotoxin that mainly contaminates apple juice, which is a typical high sugar matrix. Many different adsorbents have been utilized to develop a sample pretreatment method to minimize the matrix interference from apple juice. RESULTS A simple and reliable extraction method for the determination of patulin in apple juice has been developed. The sample preparation involves a simple one‐step cleanup procedure using amine‐functionalized polymeric solid‐phase extraction cartridges (Retain AX) that effectively remove interferences and facilitate the quantification. Isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (ID‐LC–MS/MS) was employed to minimize the matrix effect and ensure reliable results. The limit of detection was as low as 0.2 μg kg –1 , which was satisfactory with regard to current European, US, and Chinese legislation. Matrix‐matched linearity (r 2 = 0.9997) was established in the range of 1–400 μg kg –1 . Recovery was performed in samples spiked at three levels, and results were between 97.2% and 100.2%. CONCLUSION The results indicated that, with one‐step cleanup, the matrix effect was negligible and sensitivity was satisfactory. Our work provided a simple and reliable method for patulin detection in apple juice and is also very promising in routine quality control. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry