EU REFERENCE METHODS FOR DETECTION OF MARINE BIOTOXINS IN SEA FOOD

M. Stancheva, S. Georgieva, Zl. Peteva

Abstract: Marine biotoxins can be found in marine shells as mussles, rapana and scallops, and could cause different poisoning symptoms. Black Sea mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is the only one marine aquaculture produced nowadays in Bulgaria. Its safe production has an impact on the market as well on the human health. This review discusses current analytical methods for those toxins that are legally regulated in Europe, namely domoic acid, saxitoxin, okadaic acid, yessotoxin, pectenotoxin and azaspiracids, and all their analogues and how are applied in Bulgaria. Due to legislative changes that were implemented in 2011, most legally required methods are chromatographic. Saxitoxin and domoic acid are monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescent and ultraviolet detection, respectively. All other toxins are monitored nowadays by means of chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry detection.

Keywords: detection methods; marine biotoxins; official control; sea food

Date published: 2017-09-01