DON in wheat is deoxynivalenol, a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi that infect the ear when it rains at flowering. It is the most common mycotoxin in European wheat. Food limits are set in Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915, and feed guidance values in Recommendation 2006/576/EC.
Where it comes from
Fusarium head blight infects wheat, barley and oats in warm, wet weather around flowering. Infected kernels are often shrivelled and pinkish, but DON can be present in normal-looking grain. Maize stubble and minimum tillage raise the risk in the following wheat crop.
Why it matters
DON is also called vomitoxin because it causes feed refusal and vomiting in pigs. In food it is controlled by maximum levels that differ for unprocessed wheat, flour and foods for infants; in feed, Recommendation 2006/576/EC gives guidance values. The figures are not restated here; reference the instrument in force at shipment.
Testing and sampling
Intake screening uses strip tests or ELISA; LC-MS/MS confirms. Because infected kernels are unevenly spread, the sample matters most, and official sampling follows Regulation (EU) 2023/2782. Cleaning removes some DON, but milling concentrates it in the bran, so wholemeal and bran need their own results. The mycotoxins in cereals guide covers the full picture, and the glossary entry on deoxynivalenol gives the definition.