Effect of processing on deoxynivalenol and other trichothecenes

Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) and other trichothecene toxins may contaminate crops as weather conditions during the growing season sometimes favor the growth and toxin production by the Fusarium fungus. Several processing procedures for the reduction of DON in contaminated wheat and corn have been studied. Although total elimination of toxin is not usually possible, processing methods such as cleaning and milling can reduce toxin to acceptable levels. In addition, more countries have guidelines or advisory levels to follow for the utilization of DON-contaminated grains such as wheat. In recent years, a few studies on grain processing have been conducted, however, there is a continuing effort to find a more effective method or a combination of methods for the reduction of DON in grains and grain products.