[Fusarium toxins in the cereal crop in Russia (situation in 1993 and 1994)]

The occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone in 495 samples of food wheat, barley and rye collected from different regions of Russia, and in 633 samples of fresh harvested wheat from Krasnodar region in 1993 and 1994 was surveyed. DON was detected in 97% of fresh harvested wheat samples in 1993, exceeding maximum tolerated level MTL) in 69% of samples analyzed. 23% of fresh harvested wheat samples were positive for DON and only in 5% of samples investigated DON concentration exceed MTL in 1994. Zearalenone was found in low concentrations in 3 of 154 wheat samples analyzed. Surveys of food wheat, barley and rye samples have shown that 23%, 7% and 3% of lots were positive for DON, respectively, in 1993. DON concentration exceed MTL in 14% of food wheat samples. The frequency of DON contamination of the 1994 food wheat samples was 6%. No mycotoxins were found in the 1994 food barley and rye samples analyzed. Almost all DON contaminated lots of food grain were collected from North Caucasus region.