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

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 mycotoxins using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection. The studies revealed that the prevalence of mycotoxins detected in barley decreased in the following order: enniatin B > alternariol > tentoxin > deoxynivalenol, alternariol methyl ester > T-2 and HT-2 toxins, ochratoxins A and B, citrinin, and sterigmatocystin. Only Fusarium toxins were detected in samples from the Central, Far Eastern, Northwestern, and Ural Federal Districts; Fusarium toxins and Alternaria toxins were detected in barley from the Southern, Siberian, and Volga Federal Districts, and Alternaria toxins alone were detected in grain from the North Caucasus Federal District. The content of regulated mycotoxins detected in barley did not exceed the maximum permissible levels. Based on the data obtained, it can be concluded that food barley grain is primarily contaminated with toxic metabolites of field fungi of the genus Fusarium (enniatin B and deoxynivalenol) and Alternaria (alternariol, alternariol methyl ester, tentoxin).