Deoxynivalenol and otherFusariummycotoxins in bread, cake, and biscuits produced from UK-grown wheat under commercial and pilot scale conditions

Exposure Assessment to Deoxynivalenol of Children over 3 Years Deriving from the Consumption of Processed Wheat-Based Products Produced from a Dedicated Flour

Wheat-based products are largely consumed by children worldwide. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is known for its acute and chronic toxicity and is the most common contaminant of cereal grains. Since no legal limits are set for DON in wheat-based products and specific foods intended for children over 3 years on the market, a high risk of overexposure to this contaminant may emerge. The main objective of the study, conducted in 2018-2019, was to produce a wheat flour intended for children over three years, characterized by a high level of safety in terms of DON content, to be used to produce wheat-derived products. The dedicated flour was produced by adopting tailored procedures like the selection of wheat suppliers, the predetermination of the safe contamination of DON in the final products, and the evaluation of the transfer rate from the wheat flour to derived products (bread, breadsticks, biscuits, plumcake, and focaccia). The results showed that the daily exposure of children was considered to be safe, in a range between 7% (biscuits) and 67% (bread) of DON tolerable daily intake (TDI) and that only by producing a flour characterized by DON levels much lower than those in force, can "safe" products be marketed.

Pasta cooking influence on in vitro bioaccessibility of type B trichothecenes, acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural

The study evaluated the effect of cooking time on the levels of type B trichothecenes (TCT_B), acrylamide (AA) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in semolina pasta and their bioaccessibilities in order to propose strategies to reduce the daily exposure of these natural and processing contaminants. Three brands of commercial pasta were submitted to different cooking times (7, 10 and 13 min). Subsequently, the in vitro bioaccessibility trials, permeation across the intestinal membrane and estimation of daily exposure were carried out. The lowest cooking time (7 min) resulted in high reductions of TCT_B (88%) and AA + HMF (76.7%) contents found on the raw pasta. The concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON) and AA were higher after the digestion (bioaccessibilities >100%) than after the pasta cooking. About 25.6% of DON and 100% of AA found in the small intestine digestible fraction were able to permeate the intestinal membrane. The risk of exposure was below the recommended safe limits since the estimated daily exposure values were 0.22 µg/kg per body weight/day for DON and 0.26 µg/kg per body weight/day for AA. Therefore, cooking pasta for 7 min at a pasta:water ratio of 1:10 (w/v) mitigates the contaminants and promotes the greater formation of resistant starch.

Relevance of Zearalenone and its modified forms in bakery products

Zearalenone is a frequently occurring and well-known mycotoxin developed in cereals before and during the harvest period by Fusarium spp. mainly in maize and wheat. In addition to the main form, various modified forms (phase I and II metabolites) were detected, in some cases in high amounts. These modified forms can be harmful for human health due to their different toxicity, which can be much higher compared to the parent toxin. In addition, the parent toxin can be cleaved from the phase I and II metabolites during digestion. A risk of correlated and additive adverse effects of the metabolites of ZEN phase I and II in humans and animals is evident. ZEN is considered in many studies on its occurrence in grain-based foods and some studies are dedicated to the behavior of ZEN during food processing. This is not the case for the ZEN phase I and II metabolites, which are only included in a few occurrence reports. Their effects during food processing is also only sporadically addressed in studies to date. In addition to the massive lack of data on the occurrence and behavior of ZEN modified forms, there is also a lack of comprehensive clarification of the toxicity of the numerous different ZEN metabolites detected to date. Finally, studies on the fate during digestion of the relevant ZEN metabolites will be important in the future to further clarify their relevance in processed foods such as bakery products.

Zearalenone and Its Masked Forms in Cereals and Cereal-Derived Products: A Review of the Characteristics, Incidence, and Fate in Food Processing

Zearalenone (ZEA) is known as a Fusarium-produced mycotoxin, representing a risk to cereal food safety with repercussions for economies and worldwide trade. Recent studies have reported the co-occurrence of ZEA and masked ZEA in a variety of cereals and cereal-based products, which may exert adverse effects on public health due to additive/synergistic interactions. However, the co-contamination of ZEA and masked ZEA has received little attention. In order to minimize the threats of co-contamination by ZEA and masked ZEA, it is necessary to recognize the occurrence and formation of ZEA and masked ZEA. This review focuses on the characteristics, incidence, and detection of ZEA and its masked forms. Additionally, the fate of ZEA and masked ZEA during the processing of bread, cake, biscuits, pasta, and beer, as well as the ZEA limit, are discussed. The incidence of masked ZEA is lower than that of ZEA, and the mean level of masked ZEA varies greatly between cereal samples. Published data showed a considerable degree of heterogeneity in the destiny of ZEA during cereal-based food processing, mostly as a result of the varying contamination levels and complicated food processing methods. Knowledge of the fate of ZEA and masked ZEA throughout cereal-based food processing may reduce the likelihood of severe detrimental market and trade ramifications. The revision of legislative limits of masked ZEA may become a challenge in the future.

Factors during Production of Cereal-Derived Feed That Influence Mycotoxin Contents

Mycotoxins are naturally present in cereal-based feed materials; however, due to adverse effects on animal health, their presence in derived animal feed should be minimized. A systematic literature search was conducted to obtain an overview of all factors from harvest onwards influencing the presence and concentration of mycotoxins in cereal-based feeds. The feed production processes covered included the harvest time, post-harvest practices (drying, cleaning, storage), and processing (milling, mixing with mycotoxin binders, extrusion cooking, ensiling). Delayed harvest supports the production of multiple mycotoxins. The way feed materials are dried after harvest influences the concentration of mycotoxins therein. Applying fungicides on the feed materials after harvest as well as cleaning and sorting can lower the concentration of mycotoxins. During milling, mycotoxins might be redistributed in cereal feed materials and fractions thereof. It is important to know which parts of the cereals are used for feed production and whether or not mycotoxins predominantly accumulate in these fractions. For feed production, mostly the milling fractions with outer parts of cereals, such as bran and shorts, are used, in which mycotoxins concentrate during processing. Wet-milling of grains can lower the mycotoxin content in these parts of the grain. However, this is typically accompanied by translocation of mycotoxins to the liquid fractions, which might be added to by-products used as feed. Mycotoxin binders can be added during mixing of feed materials. Although binders do not remove mycotoxins from the feed, the mycotoxins become less bioavailable to the animal and, in the case of food-producing animals, to the consumer, lowering the adverse effects of mycotoxins. The effect of extruding cereal feed materials is dependent on several factors, but in principle, mycotoxin contents are decreased after extrusion cooking. The results on ensiling are not uniform; however, most of the data show that mycotoxin production is supported during ensiling when oxygen can enter this process. Overall, the results of the literature review suggest that factors preventing mycotoxin production have greater impact than factors lowering the mycotoxin contents already present in feed materials.

The effect of technological processes on contamination with B-class trichothecenes and quality of spring wheat products from grain harvested at different times

The study aimed to investigate the effect of technological processes on deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-ADON) concentrations and quality of spring wheat products from grain harvested at different times. In this study, 408 samples were analysed for DON, 3-ADON and 15-ADON contamination by the HPLC method with UV detection. Delays in harvesting due to cool and rainy weather conditions resulted in increased DON, 3-ADON and 15-ADON levels. The highest DON concentrations were determined in bran. Higher DON concentrations in the bran indicate the protective function of the grain hull. On the other hand, the highest levels of minerals have been found in bran and whole grain flours, highlighting the importance of consuming these milling fractions as a mineral source with sustained health benefits. Our results showed that DON is stable at 170 °C, and high DON levels in whole-meal flour and white flour could not be converted or decomposed during baking. The levels of 3-ADON and 15-ADON in whole-meal flour bread and white flour bread were significantly reduced but not completely removed. The levels of DON and its derivatives 3-ADON and 15-ADON were significantly reduced in starch and gluten produced from contaminated whole meal flour; however, the washing process did not completely eliminate these toxic compounds. The concentrations of mycotoxins in starch and gluten remained relatively high. Negative correlation was found in highly contaminated samples between DON and bread baking properties. Also, inverse relationship was found between high mycotoxin concentrations and mineral element content in white flour.

Biological Control of Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium poae by Antagonistic Yeasts

The genus Fusarium is considered to be one of the most pathogenic, phytotoxic and toxin-producing group of microorganisms in the world. Plants infected by these fungi are characterized by a reduced consumer and commercial value, mainly due to the contamination of crops with mycotoxins. Therefore, effective methods of reducing fungi of the genus Fusarium must be implemented already in the field before harvesting, especially with alternative methods to pesticides such as biocontrol. In this study we identified yeasts that inhibit the growth of the pathogenic fungi Fusarium culmorum, F. graminearum and F. poae. Tested yeasts came from different culture collections, or were obtained from organic and conventional cereals. The greater number of yeast isolates from organic cereals showed antagonistic activity against fungi of the genus Fusarium compared to isolates from the conventional cultivation system. Cryptococcus carnescens (E22) isolated from organic wheat was the only isolate that limited the mycelial growth of all three tested fungi and was the best antagonist against F. poae. Selected yeasts showed various mechanisms of action against fungi, including competition for nutrients and space, production of volatile metabolites, reduction of spore germination, production of siderophores or production of extracellular lytic enzymes: chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. Of all the investigated mechanisms of yeast antagonism against Fusarium, competition for nutrients and the ability to inhibit spore germination prevailed.

Fate of regulated, masked, emerging mycotoxins and secondary fungal metabolites during different large-scale maize dry-milling processes

The use of maize in the food chain could be mainly limited due to its contamination by mycotoxins. As scarce information is available, the current study is aimed at collecting new data on the co-occurrence and the fate of the most frequent masked, modified and emerging mycotoxins and other second fungal metabolites in maize food products and by-products. Three maize lots, obtained in different growing seasons, were processed using two different degermination processes, a dry-degermination system or a tempering-degermination one, in order to compare the interaction between mycotoxins and the dry-milling management system. Whole grain before and after cleaning, and all the products and the by-products were sampled twice for each lot and were subjected to a multi-mycotoxin LC-MS/MS analysis. More than 30 mycotoxins and other fungal metabolites, including masked or modified forms, co-occurred in all the maize milling fractions. Grain cleaning reduced all the detected fungal metabolites by 1.2-2 times, compared to the grain before cleaning. Animal feed flour showed the highest content of almost all the mycotoxins and fungal metabolites, with a consequent negative impact on animal health. Considering that for all the mycotoxins and fungal metabolites an inverse relationship with particle size was observed, flaking grits represented the healthiest maize products with the least contamination level, while the abatement was always lower for maize flour. Furthermore, the metabolites were variably redistributed in the maize fractions. The total aflatoxins, kojic acid, deoxynivalenol and its modified form, culmorin, and its associated forms, butenolide, fusaproliferin, fusaric acid, fusarinolic acid and, in some cases, zearalenone and its modified forms, and fusarin C were found to be concentrated significantly in the germ. Some of them also had a greater permanence in the maize food fractions and a weaker decontamination, both of which point to a higher risk of exposure for the end consumers. The co-occurrence of a such a high number of mycotoxins and fungal metabolites and their different fates during the dry-milling process have never been described before.

Solutions for whole grain food development

Owing to the health benefits associated with whole grains, there has been a sustained global effort to increase their consumption, with many countries developing guidelines for recommended amounts of whole grain intake. In China, the consumption of whole grains is low. This is due, in part, to technical obstacles in the development of whole grain foods. This review focuses on possible solutions in the whole value chain and the application of new food technologies to develop whole grain foods that taste better, have more appealing texture, are safe to consume, and better retain bioactive compounds.

The Influence of Processing Parameters on the Mitigation of Deoxynivalenol during Industrial Baking

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a frequent contaminant of flour, can be partially degraded by baking. It is not clear: (i) How the choice of processing parameter (i.e., ingredients, leavening, and baking conditions) affects DON degradation and thus (ii) how much DON can be degraded during the large-scale industrial production of bakery products. Crackers, biscuits, and bread were produced from naturally contaminated flour using different processing conditions. DON degradation during baking was quantified with the most accurate analytical methodology available for this Fusarium toxin, which is based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Depending on the processing conditions, 0-21%, 4-16%, and 2-5% DON were degraded during the production of crackers, biscuits, and bread, respectively. A higher NaHCO3 concentration, baking time, and baking temperature caused higher DON degradation. NH4HCO3, yeast, vinegar, and sucrose concentration as well as leavening time did not enhance DON degradation. In vitro cell viability assays confirmed that the major degradation product isoDON is considerably less toxic than DON. This proves for the first time that large-scale industrial baking results in partial detoxification of DON, which can be enhanced by process management.

Changes in masked forms of deoxynivalenol and their co-occurrence with culmorin in cereal-based products: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study was aimed to evaluate the fate of D3G, 3-ADON, and 15-ADON during various processing steps (milling, fermentation, baking and cooking with water) of different cereal-based products, as well as the co-occurrence of culmorin (CUL) and its derivatives (15-Hydroxy-CUL and 5-Hydroxy-CUL. Some databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were screened to collect the relevant published papers between January 1983 to October 2018, and 23 articles with 319 data were included. The baking resulted in reductions in the concentration of all types of investigated masked mycotoxins, i.e., 15-ADON (-25%) > 3-ADON (-15%) > D3G (-6%). Also, rank order of CUL and its derivatives based on occurrence was CUL (70%) > 15-Hydroxy-CUL (47%) > 5-Hydroxy-CUL (15%) and their rank based on their concentration was 5-Hydroxy-CUL (99.21 µg/kg) > CUL (48.84 µg/kg) > 15-Hydroxy-CUL (9.39 µg/kg) > Hydroxy -CUL (0.06 µg/kg) > 12-Hydroxy-CUL (0.05 µg/kg) > 14-Hydroxy-CUL (0.01 µg/kg).

Assessing Aflatoxin Exposure Risk from Peanuts and Peanut Products Imported to Taiwan

Aflatoxins are highly toxic and cause disease in livestock and humans. In order to assess Taiwan population exposure to aflatoxin from peanuts and peanut products, a total of 1089 samples of peanut candy, peanut butter, and peanuts etc. were collected in the period from 2011 to 2017 and analyzed using a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometer. The overall mean contamination levels of aflatoxin in peanuts and peanut products were 2.40 μg/kg of aflatoxin B1, 0.41 μg/kg of aflatoxin B2, 0.19 μg/kg of aflatoxin G1, and 0.03 μg/kg of aflatoxin G2. We use margin of exposure (MOE) as a tool to improve food safety management. According to MOE levels of aflatoxins in peanuts and peanut products from China, Indonesia, Thailand, the United States, and the Philippines were above the safe lower limit of 10,000, indicating an absence of public health or safety risk for the majority of the population. However, products from Vietnam were under the MOE safe lower limit, suggesting that regulatory actions must be continued to avoid excessive consumer exposure.

Thermal stability of T-2 and HT-2 toxins during biscuit- and crunchy muesli-making and roasting

The mycotoxins T-2 and HT-2 toxin are frequently occurring food contaminants which are produced by Fusarium species. Humans and animals are mainly exposed to these substances by the consumption of contaminated oats, maize and wheat. For the production of crunchy muesli, bread and bakery products, these cereals undergo multiple processing steps, including baking, roasting and extrusion cooking. However, the influence of food processing on T-2 and HT-2 toxin levels is to date poorly understood. Thus, the effects of baking and roasting on both mycotoxins were evaluated during biscuit-, crunchy muesli- and toasted oat flakes-production under precise variation of various parameters: heating time and temperature as well as recipe formulation were varied in the range they are applied in the food processing industry. Therefore, oatmeal or flaked oats were artificially contaminated individually with both toxins and processed at the laboratory scale. T-2 toxin generally showed a higher degradation rate than HT-2 toxin. During biscuit-making up to 45% of T-2 toxin and 20% of HT-2 toxin were thermally degraded, showing a dependency on water content, baking time and temperature. The preparation of crunchy muesli yielded no significant toxin degradation which is probably due to the low temperatures applied. Roasting led to a degradation of 32% of T-2 toxin and 24% of HT-2 toxin. Taken together, both mycotoxins are partially degraded during thermal food processing; the degradation rates are influenced by the food composition and processing parameters.

The Fate of Mycotoxins During the Processing of Wheat for Human Consumption

Mycotoxins are a potential health threat in cereals including wheat. In the European Union (EU), mycotoxin maximum levels are laid down for cereal raw materials and final food products. For wheat and wheat-based products, the EU maximum levels apply to deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone, aflatoxins, and ochratoxin A. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the different mycotoxins and their legal limits and on how processing of wheat can affect such contaminants, from raw material to highly processed final products, based on relevant scientific studies published in the literature. The potential compliance with EU maximum levels is discussed. Of the four mycotoxins regulated in wheat-based foods in the EU, most data are available for DON, whereas aflatoxins were rarely studied in the processing of wheat. Furthermore, available data on the effect of processing are outlined for mycotoxins not regulated by EU law-including modified and emerging mycotoxins-and which cover DON derivatives (DON-3-glucoside, mono-acetyl-DONs, norDONs, deepoxy-DON), nivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, enniatins, beauvericin, moniliformin, and fumonisins. The processing steps addressed in this review cover primary processing (premilling and milling operations) and secondary processing procedures (such as fermentation and thermal treatments). A special focus is on the production of baked goods, and processing factors for DON in wheat bread production were estimated. For wheat milling products derived from the endosperm and for white bread, compliance with legal requirements seems to be mostly achievable when applying good practices. In the case of wholemeal products, bran-enriched products, or high-cereal low-moisture bakery products, this appears to be challenging and improved technology and/or selection of high-quality raw materials would be required.

Deoxynivalenol and its acetyl derivatives in bread and biscuits in Shandong province of China

In the present study, 100 commercial breads and biscuits were investigated for the occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetylated derivatives 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-Ac-DON) and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-Ac-DON). The target mycotoxins were determined by isotope dilution ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). DON was determined in 95% of the test samples with a mean value of 153.3 µg/kg. Compared with DON, 3-Ac-DON and 15-Ac-DON were far less frequently detected, with mean values of 1.14 and 0.37 µg/kg, respectively. The estimated daily intakes of the sum of DON and its derivatives in breads and biscuits were 0.0059 and 0.0313 µg/kg bw/day, respectively, which was within the group provisional tolerable daily intake of 1.0 µg/kg bw/day set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. In the future, systematic monitoring programmes of DON and its derivatives in relevant foodstuffs are still necessary for food safety and human health.

Risks to human and animal health related to the presence of deoxynivalenol and its acetylated and modified forms in food and feed

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin primarily produced by Fusarium fungi, occurring predominantly in cereal grains. Following the request of the European Commission, the CONTAM Panel assessed the risk to animal and human health related to DON, 3-acetyl-DON (3-Ac-DON), 15-acetyl-DON (15-Ac-DON) and DON-3-glucoside in food and feed. A total of 27,537, 13,892, 7,270 and 2,266 analytical data for DON, 3-Ac-DON, 15-Ac-DON and DON-3-glucoside, respectively, in food, feed and unprocessed grains collected from 2007 to 2014 were used. For human exposure, grains and grain-based products were main sources, whereas in farm and companion animals, cereal grains, cereal by-products and forage maize contributed most. DON is rapidly absorbed, distributed, and excreted. Since 3-Ac-DON and 15-Ac-DON are largely deacetylated and DON-3-glucoside cleaved in the intestines the same toxic effects as DON can be expected. The TDI of 1 μg/kg bw per day, that was established for DON based on reduced body weight gain in mice, was therefore used as a group-TDI for the sum of DON, 3-Ac-DON, 15-Ac-DON and DON-3-glucoside. In order to assess acute human health risk, epidemiological data from mycotoxicoses were assessed and a group-ARfD of 8 μg/kg bw per eating occasion was calculated. Estimates of acute dietary exposures were below this dose and did not raise a health concern in humans. The estimated mean chronic dietary exposure was above the group-TDI in infants, toddlers and other children, and at high exposure also in adolescents and adults, indicating a potential health concern. Based on estimated mean dietary concentrations in ruminants, poultry, rabbits, dogs and cats, most farmed fish species and horses, adverse effects are not expected. At the high dietary concentrations, there is a potential risk for chronic adverse effects in pigs and fish and for acute adverse effects in cats and farmed mink.

The Status of Fusarium Mycotoxins in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of Emerging Trends and Post-Harvest Mitigation Strategies towards Food Control

Fusarium fungi are common plant pathogens causing several plant diseases. The presence of these molds in plants exposes crops to toxic secondary metabolites called Fusarium mycotoxins. The most studied Fusarium mycotoxins include fumonisins, zearalenone, and trichothecenes. Studies have highlighted the economic impact of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium. These arrays of toxins have been implicated as the causal agents of wide varieties of toxic health effects in humans and animals ranging from acute to chronic. Global surveillance of Fusarium mycotoxins has recorded significant progress in its control; however, little attention has been paid to Fusarium mycotoxins in sub-Saharan Africa, thus translating to limited occurrence data. In addition, legislative regulation is virtually non-existent. The emergence of modified Fusarium mycotoxins, which may contribute to additional toxic effects, worsens an already precarious situation. This review highlights the status of Fusarium mycotoxins in sub-Saharan Africa, the possible food processing mitigation strategies, as well as future perspectives.

Occurrence of deoxynivalenol in wheat flour, instant noodle and biscuits commercialised in Brazil

A total of 134 samples, consisting of 58 wheat flour, 40 instant noodle and 36 biscuits, were analysed for the presence of deoxynivalenol (DON). The samples were obtained from retail markets of the city of São Paulo during the period 2010-2014. DON was determined by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and immunoaffinity sample clean-up. Method validation followed international guidelines. The LOD and LOQ were 60 and 200 µg kg^-1, respectively, considering the three different types of samples analysed. The lowest recovery found in this study was 91.8% with RSD 4.5% for instant noodles. DON was detected in 91.4%, 97.5% and 97.2% of samples wheat flour, instant noodles and biscuits, respectively, resulting in a total of 94.8% with levels ranging from LOD to 1720.0 µg kg^-1.

Estimated exposure to zearalenone, ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1 through the consume of bakery products and pasta considering effects of food processing

The objective of this research was to estimate the processing effect on mycotoxins levels and the exposure to zearalenone (ZEA), ochratoxin (OTA) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) through the consumption of pasta and bakery products. The higher reduction percentage of mycotoxins was observed in cake production (95, 90 and 70% for ZEA, OTA and AFB1, respectively). Bread and biscuit showed similar reduction in mycotoxins levels (89 and 90% for ZEA; 80 and 85% for OTA; 36 and 40% for AFB1, respectively). The lower reduction in the levels of mycotoxins has been observed for pasta (75, 65 and 10% for ZEA, OTA and AFB1, respectively). The consumption of these products could represent 12.6% of the maximum tolerable daily intake of ZEA and 30.5% of the tolerable weekly intake of OTA. The margin of exposure value related to the exposure to AFB1 was 24.6. The exposure to ZEA and OTA through the consumption of bakery products and pasta would not represent risk for consumer health, (although conjugated forms were not determined). However, the exposure to AFB1 represents a risk (even without considering the AFB1-conjugated forms).

Deoxynivalenol & Deoxynivalenol-3-Glucoside Mitigation through Bakery Production Strategies: Effective Experimental Design within Industrial Rusk-Making Technology

In the scientific field, there is a progressive awareness about the potential implications of food processing on mycotoxins especially concerning thermal treatments. High temperatures may cause, in fact, transformation or degradation of these compounds. This work is aimed to study the fate of mycotoxins during bakery processing, focusing on deoxynivalenol (DON) and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON3Glc), along the chain of industrial rusk production. Starting from naturally contaminated bran, we studied how concentrations of DON and DON3Glc are influenced by modifying ingredients and operative conditions. The experiments were performed using statistical Design of Experiment (DoE) schemes to synergistically explore the relationship between mycotoxin reduction and the indicated processing transformation parameters. All samples collected during pilot plant experiments were analyzed with an LC-MS/MS multimycotoxin method. The obtained model shows a good fitting, giving back relevant information in terms of optimization of the industrial production process, in particular suggesting that time and temperature in baking and toasting steps are highly relevant for minimizing mycotoxin level in rusks. A reduction up to 30% for DON and DON3Glc content in the finished product was observed within an acceptable technological range.

The fate of deoxynivalenol and ochratoxin A during the breadmaking process, effects of sourdough use and bran content

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are mycotoxins produced by fungal species which can contaminate, alone or simultaneously, cereal-based products such as bread. Due to the increasing interest in the beneficial effects of dietary bran, bran bread has attained high consumption. Usually, the higher mycotoxin concentrations in cereals are found in the external layers of the grain (bran), leading to higher concentration of DON and OTA in breads with added bran. Moreover, the use of sourdough in breadmaking is increasing, but no studies about its effect in the mycotoxins content exist. The objective of this study was to determine the variation of concentration of these mycotoxins during the breadmaking process including the following factors: two initial mycotoxin concentrations in the initial mix of ingredients, four different bran contents, and use of sourdough. OTA was confirmed to be quite stable during the breadmaking process, regardless of the assayed factors. DON concentration during breadmaking was not significantly affected by bran content of bread. However, it was significantly affected by kneading and fermentation steps in opposite way depending on sourdough use and flour contamination level: if DON reduction occurs during fermentation, this leads to a safer situation, but the possible increase in DON should be considered with care, as it can compensate the expected dilution effect by recipe. Finally, the results on deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3-G), although preliminar, suggest an increase of this toxin during fermentation, but mainly during baking.

Effects of bread making and wheat germ addition on the natural deoxynivalenol content in bread

Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is a type-B trichothecene mycotoxin produced by several field fungi such as Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum and known to have various toxic effects. This study investigated the effect of the bread making process on the stability of DON in common bread and wheat germ-enriched bread using naturally contaminated ingredients at the level of 560 µg/kg. The concentration of DON and its evolution during bread making were determined by immunoaffinity column cleanup followed by liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). During the bread making process, DON was reduced by 2.1% after fermentation and dropped by 7.1% after baking, reaching a maximum reduction of 19.8% in the crust as compared with a decrease of 5.6% in the crumb. The addition of 15% wheat germ to the dough did not affect DON stability during bread making, showing an apparent increase of 3.5% after fermentation and a reduction by 10.2% after baking.

Exposure assessment for Italian population groups to deoxynivalenol deriving from pasta consumption

Four hundred and seventy-two pasta samples were collected from long retail distribution chain sales points located in North, Central and South Italy. Representative criteria in the sample collection were followed in terms of number of samples collected, market share, and types of pasta. Samples were analysed by an accredited HPLC-UV method of analysis. The mean contamination level (64.8 μg/kg) of deoxynivalenol (DON) was  in the 95th percentile (239 μg/kg) and 99th percentile (337 μg/kg), far below the legal limit (750 μg/kg) set by Regulation EC/1126/2007, accounting for about one tenth, one third and half the legal limit, respectively. Ninety-nine percent of samples fell below half the legal limit. On the basis of the obtained occurrence levels and considering the consumption rates reported by the Italian official database, no health concern was assessed for all consumer groups, being that exposure was far below the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 1000 ng/kg b.w/day. Nevertheless, despite this, particular attention should be devoted to the exposure to DON by high consumers, such as children aged 3-5 years, who could reach the TDI even with very low levels of DON contamination.

A design of experiments approach to studying deoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside evolution throughout industrial production of wholegrain crackers exploiting LC-MS/MS techniques

Fusarium mycotoxins represent a significant problem in the cereal supply chain, with wheat, maize and barley being the main contaminated crops. Among the Fusarium toxins, the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON) is considered to be the most important contaminant in wheat due to its widespread occurrence. To protect consumers from unacceptably high trichothecene intakes in their diets, many countries have set maximum trichothecene levels for cereals and related food commodities. Relatively few studies have considered the loss of trichothecenes during industrial processing and focused on how processing steps may influence their degradation or modification. The aim of the present study is to verify how the DON and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G) concentration in wholegrain crackers can be influenced by changes to the technological parameters employed during the fermentation and baking steps, starting with naturally contaminated bran, using a pilot-scale plant and exploiting the power of the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. The DON results were then used to generate a preliminary predictive model, suggesting that the baking step represents the most important phase in minimising the native toxin level in crackers.