Mycotoxin survey of wheat samples graded according to their technological quality

Abstract

Wheat grain samples from 108 fields in Slovakia were analysed for their technological quality parameters and deoxynivalenol (DON) content. A total of 206 samples were sorted into those that were suitable (S; n = 186) and those that were unsuitable for human consumption (U; n = 20). The S samples were sorted into grain quality grades (E – elite; A – standard; B – minimum; P – biscuit). The natural occurrences of DON were 72.3 % in the E; 84.9 % in the A; 86.1 % in the B; 58.1 % in the P and 100.0 % in the U samples. The mean DON content was 0.55 mg kg−1 in the E; 0.47 mg kg−1 in the A; 0.67 mg kg−1 in the B; 0.36 mg kg−1 in the P and 1.67 mg kg−1 in the U samples. The natural mean DON contamination of the human consumption samples was lower (0.52 mg kg−1) than for the samples that were unsuitable for human consumption (1.67 mg kg−1).