Detection of trichothecenes in animal feeds and foodstuffs during the years 1997 to 2000 in Saudi Arabia.

A total of 843 commercial animal feed and foodstuff samples (465 samples of agricultural commodities and 378 samples of animal feeds) from all over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were collected during the years 1997 to 2000 and analyzed for type A and type B trichothecenes (diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, HT-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, nivalenol, fusarenon-x, deoxynivalenol). Levels of mycotoxins detected ranged from <2 to 4,000 microg/kg deoxynivalenol, 3.25 to 500 microg/kg fusarenon-x, 3.13 to 600 microg/kg nivalenol, 3.13 to 50 microg/kg diacetoxyscirpenol, 6.25 to 200 microg/kg neosolaniol, 3.13 to 18.75 microg/kg HT-2 toxin, and 6.25 microg/kg T-2 toxin. The study reflected the need for routine surveillance of agricultural commodities to minimize potential hazards to human health.