Deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat: an example of weighing the pros and cons of food stuffs

A Committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands advised on deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin occurring in cereals. TDIs of 1.0 and 0.5 µg.kg body weight -super-−1.day-super-−1 have been based on mice and pig studies in which DON reduced growth. In 1999, the 50-super-th and 95-super-th percentiles of DON intake by 1-4-year-old children were, respectively, 1.3 and 2.4 µg.kg body weight -super-−1.day-super-−1. The Committee considered: (i) TDI contains safety factors, (ii) a slightly reduced weight gain is not necessarily harmful, (iii) when growth rate is highest, children consume little or no wheat, and (iv) in real life, exposure varies, causing the effect to be smaller. The Committee concluded that an exposure that only incidentally exceeds—up to about five times—0.5 µg.kg body weight -super-−1.day-super-−1 very unlikely inhibits weight gain. More severe effects on immunity, fertility and the foetus may occur at intakes higher than 2.5µg.kg body weight -super-−1.day-super-−1. Nonetheless, toxin exposure should be kept as low as possible. The Committee advised to agriculturally reduce DON content; second one may exclude wheat with high DON content for human consumption. Limits of 500 and 100 µg/kg wheat prevent exposure exceeding 1.5 and 0.5 µg.kg body weight -super-−1.day-super-−1, respectively. As wheat products are good sources of nutrients, the Committee advised against discouraging their consumption.