White and whole wheat flour breads: composition and simultaneous exposure to group B trichothecenes

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to determine the profile of group B trichothecenes (TCTBs), to estimate the daily exposure to them and to evaluate the relationship with the composition of different types of sliced wheat bread. A method for simultaneous determination of the TCTBs (deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, deoxyinivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G) and nivalenol) was validated and applied to determination in six types of sliced bread from the same factory. RESULTS: in 36.7% of the samples. The estimated daily exposure of total TCTBs ranged from 1.3- to 4.4-fold higher than the current DON level recommended by sanitary authorities worldwide. Females were the most exposed to TCTBs, particularly teenagers. The contamination in whole-sliced bread was 1.3-fold higher than in white-sliced bread. Principal components analysis indicated covariance patterns between DON-3G and the acetylate derivatives associated with fiber and protein, while DON was associated with lipid content. CONCLUSION: Although this study is limited considering the context of consuming manufactured whole or white sliced bread, it confirmed the evidence of co-contamination and interconversion among TCTBs. It could contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding the maximum tolerable level restricted to DON as a means of ensuring mitigating exposure to these compounds. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.