Mycotoxin levels measured in 359 wheat flour samples from China
What it found
In 359 wheat flour samples from Shandong Province, China, a toxin called deoxynivalenol was found in 97.2% of them.
The authors estimate that eating this flour adds little to daily exposure to that toxin for local people.
What they found
Studies in people
Daily intake estimate
Using the test results, the authors estimated how much deoxynivalenol local people take in each day. They found that eating wheat flour contributes little to overall exposure.
Other findings
Most common fungal toxins
Deoxynivalenol was found in 97.2% of the flour samples. Nivalenol appeared in 40.4% and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside in 33.4%.
Toxin amounts in flour
In samples where deoxynivalenol was present, the average level was 86.7 µg/kg. For nivalenol it was 3.55 µg/kg and for deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside it was 3.34 µg/kg.
What the authors conclude
- They say wheat flour adds little to daily deoxynivalenol exposure for people in Shandong Province.
- They call for more samples from different harvest years and seasons to better track fungal toxin levels.
How it was done
The authors wanted to check how often eight fungal toxins appear in wheat flour and at what levels. They also wanted to estimate how much of these toxins local people take in through flour.
They tested 359 wheat flour samples collected in Shandong Province, China. They used a lab method to measure eight different fungal toxins. They then used those results to estimate daily intake for the local population.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work only looked at one province in China, so the results may not match flour sold elsewhere.
- Estimating daily intake from food tests can show a link but cannot prove exactly how much toxin a person takes in.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Shandong Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, People's Republic of China; Shandong University, People's Republic of China
The paper
- Title
- Mycotoxins in wheat flour and intake assessment in Shandong province of China
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Li F, Jiang D, Zhou J, Chen J, Li W, Zheng F (2016). Mycotoxins in wheat flour and intake assessment in Shandong province of China. Food additives & contaminants. Part B, Surveillance. doi:10.1080/19393210.2016.1154109PubMed 26892316DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error