100 samples of rye and 101 samples of wheat coming out of both conventional and alternative or ecologial production were investigated for contamination with mycotoxins with interest for our degree of latitude. Deoxynivalenol (DON) was found with thin-layer-chromatography in 131 of 201 samples altogether. A top level of 1250 mu g DON kg(-1) in rye of alternative offspring was detected. The average burden in contaminated rye coming from ecological production was 427 mu g kg(-1) and a mean level of 160 mu g kg(-1) resulting in rye out of conventional growth conditions. In wheat, conventionally grown yield showed slightly lower contamination (mean levels of 420 mu g DON kg(-1) towards 486 mu g kg(-1)). The toxins 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and fusarenone X were detected in some samples by thin-layer-chromatography. This results could not be confirmed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. Zearalenone was found in 40 out of the number of 201 samples of grain by HPLC with fluorescence detection. An average of 6 mu g and 24 mu g zearalenone kg(-1) in conventionally and alternatively grown wheat and 4 mu g and 51 mu g zearalenone kg(-1) in conventionally and alternatively produced rye was detected. The highest finding of zearalenone was 199 mu g kg(-1) in alternatively grown rye. Skin toxicity testing did not show any reference of contamination with type-A-trichothecenes. No correlation between contamination of zearalenone or deoxynivalenol and thousand-kernel-weight was detected.
