Detection of deoxynivalenol contamination in wheat products in Thailand

A total of ninety samples in three kinds of wheat products (30 noodle, 30 bread, and 30 cereal samples) were collected from the supermarkets in Bangkok, Thailand, from February to April 2007. The occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in wheat products was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a UV light detector. The extraction method was performed using a multifunctional cleanup column. The limit of quantification was 0.10 microg x g(-1) from the range obtained in a linear calibration. The survey found almost 94% of the DON-contaminated samples below 1 microg x g(-1), which corresponds to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory level. DON was detected in 18.9% (17 of 90) of all samples, in 6.67% (2 of 30) and 16.67% (5 of 30) of noodle and bread samples at levels from 0.17 to 0.35 and 0.14 to 1.13 microg x g(-1), respectively, while it was in 33.33% (10 of 30) of cereal samples at levels from 0.13 to 0.39 microg x g(-1). The results suggest that the exposure to DON from the consumption of wheat products, especially noodles, bread, and cereal, is at a very low risk level.