Abstract
The present study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of mycotoxins (Deoxynivalenol (DON), Zearalenone (ZEA), Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Fumonisin B1 (FB1)) in local hen's table eggs (white and yolk) as well as their stability upon refrigeration. Two hundred and fifty of fresh table eggs samples collected from Jordan governorates were analyzed using Liquid Chromatography- Mass Spectrophotometry (LC- MS/MS) More than half (67%) of the tested samples were positive for mycotoxins. The mean concentration of AFB1, FB1 and ZEA was 0.5 ± 0.4, 0.5 ± 0.2 and 3.2 ± 1.5 μg/kg, respectively. The overall prevalence of AFB1, ZEA, FB1 was 56.8, 16.0 and 7.6%, respectively. DON was not found in any of the samples. The highest prevalence was observed in Amman (85.7%) followed by Mafraq (78.6%), Karak (75.0%) and Zarqa'a (66.6%). None of the investigated mycotoxins were detected in egg whites. However, the prevalence of AFB1, ZEA, FB1 in egg yolk was 21.3, 16 and 7.6%, respectively. Refrigeration up to 4 weeks did not decrease the mycotoxin concentration significantly. Mycotoxin concentration in all investigated samples in this study were well below both the International and Jordanian acceptable limits. However, continuous exposure may lead to bioaccumulation over a long term and pose a threat to health.