Nutritional and safety assessment of plant-based beverages

Objectives Mycotoxins are hazardous mould metabolites that contaminate various foods, particularly those derived from cereals, nuts, and legumes. With the rising popularity of plant-based beverages as dairy milk substitutes, understanding the presence and risk of mycotoxins in these drinks is essential for consumer health. However, regulatory guidelines for mycotoxins in plant-based beverages are currently lacking in the European Union. This study aimed to develop and validate an analytical method to assess the occurrence of 22 mycotoxins in plant-based beverages marketed in Latvia and Lithuania, thereby providing data on contamination prevalence and exposure risk. Materials and Methods Seventy-two commercially available plant-based beverages, including oat, nut, rice, and soy-based drinks, were collected from retail stores. Mycotoxin extraction was conducted using QuEChERS methodology, followed by analysis with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLCMS/MS). Method parameters were optimized for recovery, sensitivity, and specificity in plant-based matrices. Results Results showed that 64% of the analyzed samples contained detectable levels of one or more mycotoxins, with deoxynivalenol, beauvericin, and enniatins (A, B, B1) being the most frequently found. Oat and almond-based beverages exhibited the highest levels of contamination. A preliminary exposure assessment indicated that while most mycotoxin levels were within safe limits for Latvian consumers, emerging mycotoxins require further attention. Conclusions The findings highlight the need for regulatory guidelines for mycotoxins in plant-based beverages to ensure consumer safety. Although the acute health risks from these beverages are low, the detection of multiple mycotoxins suggests that continuous monitoring and further toxicological studies on emerging mycotoxins are necessary.