Detection of Fusarium spp. and T-2 and HT-2 toxins contamination in oats using visible and near-infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

Fusarium langsethiae (FL) is one of the major contaminants in oats in the United Kingdom (UK) and is a significant producer of T-2 and HT-2 toxins, among the most prevalent mycotoxins in oats. Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) (350–2500 nm) spectroscopy was explored as a non-invasive, rapid method for detecting FL, Fusarium species that produce T-2 and HT-2 toxins, and T-2 and HT-2 toxins content. Oat grains were artificially inoculated with FL and other Fusarium species under controlled water activity (a_w) conditions (0.98, 0.90, and 0.80). FL was found to be particularly responsible for producing T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Classification models were developed to distinguish oat grains based on the presence of FL. The best performance was achieved with all the Vis-NIR spectra, with a classification accuracy of 76.2 %. The Vis region (350–995 nm) emerged as the most important range for classification. Additionally, oat grains were classified by T-2 and HT-2 toxin content, distinguishing oats above and below the European Union (EU) threshold with 93.3 % accuracy. For mycotoxin quantification, the best performance was obtained using the Vis region with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.875. Key wavelengths such as 464, 568, 575 and 636 nm were relevant for toxin detection. The NIR region (1005–1795 nm) also played a significant role in the models. This study shows that Vis-NIR spectroscopy is a promising, non-destructive tool for detecting Fusarium and type A trichothecenes in oats, though further research is needed to improve model robustness and support food safety monitoring.