Development and practical application in the cereal food industry of a rapid and quantitative lateral flow immunoassay for deoxynivalenol

Deoxynivalenol (DON) also known as vomitoxin is produced by a number of species of Fusarium and some other fungi. DON is one of the common mycotoxins contaminating cereals such as wheat, barley and corn. To detect DON in cereals, a quantitative lateral flow test has been developed for measuring DON in all the relevant matrixes of the durum wheat pasta supply chain: durum wheat, semolina and pasta. The basic test kit consists of reader, barcode scanner and strip cassette. The entire test procedure requires about 10 min from sample preparation to result read-out. The current lateral flow test format is a typical competitive immunoassay and the 4-parameter model is built in for standard calibration and conversion of result to concentration. The performance of the test was examined for linearity, precision and reproducibility, and limits of detection. The test range is from non-detectable levels to 5 mg kg−1, with a detection limit of about 0.30 mg kg−1 in wheat spiked samples. A very high degree of linearity was observed in both spiked and naturally contaminated samples (R2 = 0.99 and 0.96 respectively). Comparative study indicates that the results generated from this rapid test are similar to the results of LC-MS. Therefore, the current DON-V test provides a simple, rapid, cost-effective on-site screening method for quantitative analysis of DON in wheat and potential other raw materials and finished commodities.

► Industry is continuously searching for cost-effective on-site screening tests for mycotoxins. ► Quantitative LFIA has been developed for measuring DON in cereals and food products. ► Sensitivity meets legislation needs and testing protocol is rapid, simple and easy. ► Validity confirmed under real field conditions in durum wheat pasta supply chain. ► Results in good agreement with the confirmatory LC-MS method.