Deoxynivalenol in food and feed: occurrence and exposure

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by various Fusarium species, which can co-occur in cereal-based food and feed together with its acetyl derivates and glucoside-conjugate. A total of 26,613 analytical results covering food, feed and unprocessed grains of undefined end-use, collected by 21 European countries between 2007 and 2012 were included in the present analysis. DON was found in almost half the samples, the highest levels being observed in wheat, maize and oat grains and derived products. Higher levels of DON were found in feed compared with food. DON levels exceeded the maximum limits for food or guidance values for feed in less than 2 % of the cases. DON acetyl derivates and conjugate were less frequently detected and at lower levels. Depending on the population group, defined as the combination of age class and the respective survey, chronic exposure to DON was estimated to be on average between 0.22 and 1.02 μg/kg b.w. per day and at the 95th percentile between 0.43 and 1.86 μ/kg b.w. per day. The main contributor was most often bread and rolls. The assessment of acute exposure resulted in a percentage of days with exposure levels above 8 μg/kg b.w. - Acute Reference Dose proposed by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives - estimated at 0.51 % for the most critical population group. Exposure days above the threshold were most frequently associated with the consumption of grain milling products in the groups of infants and of fine bakery wares in the other age groups. Chronic and acute exposure of animals were estimated to be between 3.9 and 43.3 μg/kg b.w. per day and between 11.6 and 137.9 μg/kg b.w., respectively. Poultry was the most exposed animal group, followed by pigs, companion animals and fish. It is recommended to further harmonise the monitoring strategy of DON throughout Europe and improve data reporting.