Fusarium toxins in Polish barley malt and beer
What it found
Most malt and beer samples from Poland contained deoxynivalenol (DON) and its modified form DON-3G, usually at low levels.
In a worst-case calculation, drinking one 0.5 L bottle of the most contaminated beer would push DON intake above the tolerable daily intake.
What they found
Studies in people
Typical intake from beer
Using average Polish beer consumption of 0.27 L per day, the probable daily intake stayed a small fraction of the tolerable daily intake. It was 5.1% of the tolerable intake for DON and its derivatives at the median contamination level.
Worst-case intake
If every beer bottle contained toxins at the highest level seen in the samples, the probable daily intake would reach 65.2% of the tolerable intake for DON and its derivatives. For someone drinking 0.5 L of such beer a day, it would exceed the tolerable intake by about 30%.
Other findings
Toxins in malt
DON was found in 90% of malt samples and DON-3G in 91%. The average DON level was 52.9 µg/kg and the average DON-3G level was 74.1 µg/kg.
Toxins in beer
DON was found in 97% of beer samples and DON-3G in 99%. The average DON level was 12.3 µg/L and the average DON-3G level was 7.1 µg/L.
Nivalenol and its form
NIV was found in 24% of malt samples and 64% of beer samples, and NIV-3G in 48% of malt samples and 39% of beer samples. Their levels were several times lower than DON levels.
Stronger beer, more toxin
The number of positive samples and the levels of most toxins went up with alcohol content. Average DON was 7.1 µg/L in mild beers, 12.1 µg/L in regular beers and 17.3 µg/L in strong beers.
What the authors conclude
“Because of the low mycotoxin levels, none of the tested beers were regarded as unsafe from a toxicological point of view.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the data on DON, NIV and their modified forms in brewing malts and beers on the Polish market are among the first reported.
- They note that DON and DON-3G were found most often, in more than 90% of samples, though at low levels.
- They warn that in the worst-case scenario, the probable daily intake would exceed the tolerable daily intake for DON and its metabolites after drinking just one bottle (0.5 L) of beer.
How it was done
The authors say reports on these Fusarium toxins and their modified forms in Polish malts used for brewing are very limited, and such data are needed for food safety regulation.
They tested 87 barley malt samples from Polish malting plants and 157 beer samples bought in Polish shops in 2019 for DON, nivalenol (NIV) and three modified forms. They then calculated how much of these toxins people in Poland might take in from beer, using average and worst-case contamination levels.
What it can’t tell you
- The intake calculations are based on assumed average beer consumption and body weight, not on measured intake in people.
- The samples came from Poland in 2018 and 2019, so the levels may differ in other countries or years.
- The method was not good at detecting 15-AcDON, so its contribution to intake was not measured.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Prof. Waclaw Dabrowski Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology, Poland; Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poland; National Institute of Health Sciences, Japan
The paper
- Title
- Selected Trichothecenes in Barley Malt and Beer from Poland and an Assessment of Dietary Risks Associated with their Consumption
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Ksieniewicz-Woźniak E, Bryła M, Waśkiewicz A, Yoshinari T, Szymczyk K (2019). Selected Trichothecenes in Barley Malt and Beer from Poland and an Assessment of Dietary Risks Associated with their Consumption. Toxins. doi:10.3390/toxins11120715Free full textPubMed 31835298DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error