Monitoring of cereals for deoxinivalenol (DON) in Lithuania using an acoustic method = Praćenje žitarica u Litvi radi otkrivanja deoxynivalenola korištenjem akustične metode

Abstract

Monitoring of DON in cereals is expensive. Null and void sampling procedures and weak knead regulations are to blame. Sampling interconnected with analysis is an important aspect of obtaining reliable analytical results. The scenario for sampling today, leads to incorrect results and considerable economical losses. There are however ways and means as getting around the problem and protect the consumer. Combining a suitable method and a representative sampling procedure at a point of harvest, might be a solution. Ubiquitary occurring DON as a marker of trichothecenes produced by Fussarium species is considered as an important safety issue. DON occurs in grain in mean concentrations up to 10.000 μg/kg. As it stands now with legislation the population is unnecessary put at risk. Monitoring with a rapid, cheap, acoustic technique with in-line capabilities can bring relief. Although in its infancy, the technique has been applied successfully in Lithuania. The existing technique originally developed for the texture/structure of porous (food) products has been modified and can screen DON now with promising precision in contaminated wheat at a point of harvest. Over the past years KTU worked together with Agriculture to determine DON with a respective wet chemistry method (ELISA) and acoustic as well. Results will be presented and discussed.