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Abstract
Each year (2002–2005), approximately 100 samples of barley from fields of known agronomy were analysed for ten trichothecenes by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) including deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol, 3-acetyl DON, 15-acetyl DON, fusarenone X, T-2 toxin (T2), HT-2 toxin (HT2), diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, and T-2 triol. Samples were also analysed for moniliformin and zearalenone by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Of the ten trichothecenes analysed from 446 harvest samples of barley, only two, diacetoxyscirpenol and neosolaniol, were not detected. The concentrations of type A trichothecenes were similar to those that occurred in wheat over the same period, whilst those of type B trichothecenes were markedly lower. Deoxynivalenol was the most frequently detected Fusarium mycotoxin, present above the limit of quantification (10 µg kg−1) in 57% of samples, and was usually present at the highest concentration. A single sample (0.2%) exceeded the legal limit for DON in unprocessed barley over the 4-year period. Moniliformin and zearalenone were both rarely detected (2% of samples greater than 10 µg kg−1 for both toxins) with maximum concentrations of 45 and 44 µg kg−1, respectively. Year and region had a significant effect on DON and HT2 + T2, but there was no significant difference in the concentration of these mycotoxins between organic and conventional samples. Overall, the risk of UK barley exceeding the newly introduced legal limits for Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals intended for human consumption is very low, but the percentage of samples above these limits will fluctuate between years.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge all growers who supplied samples and the agronomists from the Association of Independent Crop Consultants, Agrovista and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland who coordinated the collection of samples. Technical support at Harper Adams was provided by Luda Ibrahim, Katerina Pirgozlieva, and Rumiana Ray of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, and the field trial officers of the Crop and Environment Research Centre. Mycotoxin analysis was conducted by Sue Patel at RHM Technology. Statistical advice was provided by Sandro Leidi at Statistical Services Centre, University of Reading. This research was funded by the UK Food Standards Agency (Grant Numbers CO4033 and CO4034) and Home-Grown Cereal Authority (Grant Number RD-2002-2706).