Stability of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) during the production of flour-based foods and wheat flake cereal

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin found in cereal grains and cereal-based foods. DON concentrations in finished products are reduced under some processing conditions, but not others. DON concentrations in flour, wheat and selected foods made from them under commercially relevant conditions were compared by GC with electron capture detection. Average concentrations (n = 9/item) in cookies, crackers and pretzels ranged from 61% (cookies) to 111% (pretzels) compared with flour (100% = 0.46 mu g g-1). Lesser amounts were found in donuts and bread: their respective DON concentrations were 44% and 30% that of flour. Mass balance estimates for DON (mu g g-1 flour equivalents) ranged from 50% (bread = 0.23 mu g g-1 flour equivalents) to 120% (donuts), indicating that dilution by recipe ingredients contributed to DON reductions in bread and accounted for all of the apparent reduction in donuts. Mass balance estimates averaged 76% (crackers) to 107% (pretzels) for the other flour products. DON concentrations were higher in cereal flakes (0.55 mu g g-1 in the finished product and 0.58 mu g g-1 on a mass balance basis) than in wheat (0.40 mu g g-1), suggesting that DON concentrations might increase during processing of wheat cereals under some conditions. In summary, DON concentrations of finished food products were reduced epsilon 50% only in bread and donuts. Reduction in bread resulted from a combination of DON 'loss' and dilution by recipe ingredients whereas the reduction in donuts was due entirely to dilution. These results are further evidence of DON stability during the preparation of popular flour or wheat-based products.