Determinação de micotoxina desoxinivalenol (DON) em grãos de trigo secos e umedecidos de diferentes nacionalidades

Abstract

Wheat is one of the most consumed grains in Brazil. Its greatest use is made by processing the grain to obtain flour, which is commonly used in bakeries to make cakes and breads. Like all foods, wheat is the target of contamination by microorganisms and being a dry food, its biggest enemy is the mycotoxins produced by the trichothecene family molds. Contamination may occur during or after harvest. The fungi capable of producing the deoxynivalenol toxin (DON) are Mirothecium, Cephalosporium, Verticimosporium, Stachybotrys and mainly Fusarium. Ingestion at alarming levels can cause various damage to human health. Brazilian law has determined that the tolerable level for the presence of DON mycotoxin in wheat is 3000 parts per billion, taking into account the processing of wheat to flour and the limit to reduce to 750 parts per billion of this mycotoxin. With the analyzes performed in this work, the objective was to determine in 30 days if there is a possibility that the levels of deoxynivalenol mycotoxin are above the allowed by the current legislation in national and imported wheat samples. Tests were performed with 18 days moistened wheat and 35 days dry wheat. The results were conclusive and it was found that after 35 days of storage, DON levels remained adequate for processing and consumption.