Assessment of Fumonisin B1 Concentrations in Wheat and Barley Products in the Punjab Region of Pakistan

A total of 133 samples of whole wheat and barley grains and wheat and barley flour collected from retail markets in the main cities of Punjab, Pakistan, were analyzed for the mycotoxin fumonisin B-1 (FBI) using reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Of these samples, 120 (90%) were positive for FBI, and 75 (63%) of the 120 positive samples had FB1 concentrations higher than the European Union maximum (200 mu g/kg). The limit of detection was 4 mu g/kg. The highest mean (+/- SD) concentration of FBI was found in whole wheat samples, 980.5 +/- 211.4 mu g/kg. The calculated dietary intakes of FB1 from wheat and barley flours were 4,456 and 503.7 ng/g of body weight per day, respectively.