Fate of deoxynivalenol in contaminated wheat grain during preparation of Egyptian 'balila'.

Soaking and boiling whole wheat kernels in water are the key steps in the preparation of an Egyptian dish called 'balila'. The effects of washing, soaking and boiling wheat kernels in tap water or in 0.1 M Na2CO3 solution on the deoxynivalenol (DON) content of the wheat kernels were studied. Boiling contaminated wheat kernels in water reduced the DON content of the grain by 70%. The mechanism of decontamination due to boiling is probably a leaching of DON out of the grain into the boiling medium. A combined treatment of soaking in 0.1 M Na2CO3 solution (pH 11) with subsequent boiling reduced the DON content of the grain by 93%. Data suggest that apart from leaching DON out of the kernels into the boiling medium, a degradation of DON occurred in alkaline medium. Modifying the traditional process of 'balila' preparation by using Na2CO3 solution may be useful to reduce the risk of mycotoxin exposure via 'balila'.