Economic Changes Imposed by Mycotoxins in Food Grains: Case Study of Deoxynivalenol in Winter Wheat

The Fusarium epidemic of 1996 in Ontario winter wheat resulted in direct losses of well over $100 million Canadian dollars (CDN). More importantly, wheat marketing in Ontario has changed. The market focus remains primarily food grade. Thus, the awareness of deoxynivalenol (DON) entering the food chain has influenced marketing and trade. New market tolerances for DON have been set. The Chicago Board of Trade will only accept up to 5 ppm (DON), while a new tolerance of 0.5 ppm DON has been set in the breakfast cereal markets. Advance contracts are avoided and there is a new reluctance to service export customers, all because of the liability associated with DON. Furthermore, there are no markets for process by-products which contain concentrated levels of DON. Before 1996, DON problems were handled largely by blending grain across the province. A reluctance to blend DON contaminated wheat and site specific sourcing of grain is growing.