Mycotoxin contamination of domestic barley grain (results of screening studies of the 2024 harvest)

Abstract

Barley is widely used in animal husbandry and the food industry. At the same time, special attention is paid to its safety for human and farm animal health. Mycotoxins, which are metabolites of mold fungi with a pronounced toxic effect, are among the priority contaminants of agricultural cereals. To reduce relevant public health risks, the Russian Federation has established maximum permissible levels of certain mycotoxins in food barley grain: aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency and level of mycotoxin contamination in food barley grain from the 2024 harvest from different federal districts of the Russian Federation. Samples collected by the territorial offices of Rospotrebnadzor were analyzed for 29 mycoto