Fusarium toxins in wheat flour collected in an area in southwest Germany

A total of 60 samples of wheat flour were collected during the first 6 months of 1999 from mills and food stores in an area in southwest Germany. Samples included whole-grain and two types of white flour with these three groups characterized by a high, medium and low ash content. The contents of deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2) and fusarenon-X (FUS-X) were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and those of zearalenone (ZEA), α- and β-zearalenol (α- and β-ZOL) by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. FUS-X, α- and β-ZOL were not detected in any sample. Based on incidence and level, DON was the predominant toxin followed by NIV and ZEA for all three flour types. The overall degree of toxin contamination was lower with decreasing ash content. This suggests a localization of the toxins analyzed primarily in the outer parts of the original wheat kernels. The median DON content was significantly (P<0.05) higher for wheat flour originating from wheat of conventional than of organic production.