A limited survey of Fusarium mycotoxins nivalenol, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in 1984 UK harvested wheat and barley

A limited survey for the occurrence of nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) in 1984 UK‐grown cereals (31 samples) have been carried out using a new procedure, which is a rapid and sensitive method for Fusarium mycotoxins. NIV, DON and ZEN were detected in 17 (55%), 20 (65%) and 4 (13%) out of 31 samples, and average levels in positive samples were 101 μg/kg, 31μg/kg and 1μg/kg, respectively. Additional surveys on two wheat and eight barley samples harvested in Scotland have shown that 30%, 60% and 100% of the samples were contaminated with NIV, DON and ZEN, respectively. The contents averaged 391μgAg of NIV, 39μg/kg of DON and 9μgAg of ZEN. The results of this survey show that UK‐grown cereals were significantly contaminated with NIV, DON and ZEN in a similar way to that observed in Japan, Korea and China. This is the first evidence of the natural occurrence of NIV in UK cereals.