Retention of the fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in wheat during processing and cooking of spaghetti and noodles

Abstract

Samples of Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat of the variety Sinton and Canadian Western Amber Durum (CWAD) wheat of the variety Coulter containing high levels of naturally incurred Fusarium graminearum Schwabe and deoxynivalenol (DON) were conditioned, milled and processed to noodles and spaghetti respectively. Mycological examination revealed greater penetration of F. graminearum into Coulter wheat kernels than Sinton wheat kernels. The highest mill fraction mould counts were found in the bran of the Sinton wheat and the shorts of the Coulter wheat. Scouring of Sinton wheat preceding and following tempering reduced the level of DON in the wheat. Conditioning of Coulter wheat without scouring did not affect DON levels. The amount of DON retained in Sinton flour and Coulter semolina averaged 29% and 52% respectively of the amounts found in the respective conditioned wheats. DON concentrations were highest in the bran for both wheats. The weight of DON retained in cooked Japanese and Chinese noodles prepared from Sinton flour averaged 52 % and 42 % respectively of the weight of DON in the flour. Retention of DON in optimally cooked Coulter spaghetti averaged 43 % to 53 % of the amount present before cooking for both high temperature and low temperaturedried spaghetti. Overcooking resulted in a slight further decrease in retention of DON in cooked spaghetti.