What is deoxynivalenol (DON)?
Deoxynivalenol — widely known as vomitoxin — is the most commonly detected Fusarium toxin in cereals worldwide. It is not the most acutely toxic trichothecene, but it is the one laboratories encounter most often.
Last reviewed 2026-11-11 · compiled by TripleBond Scientific Inc., Guelph, Ontario
Where it comes from
Deoxynivalenol (DON, CAS 51481-10-8) is a type B trichothecene produced by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, the fungi responsible for Fusarium head blight in small grain cereals. Unlike aflatoxin, DON is largely a field problem: infection happens at flowering, and wet weather during that window is the dominant risk factor. Storage practice will not undo contamination that is already in the grain.
DON occurs with its acetylated forms 3-acetyl-DON and 15-acetyl-DON, and with the plant metabolite DON-3-glucoside, a modified form that standard analysis can miss unless it is specifically targeted. Modern risk assessments treat the four together.
Commodities most affected
Wheat, durum wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, and the flours, brans, malts, beers and breakfast cereals made from them. Bran and milling offals concentrate DON relative to the whole grain.
What it does
Trichothecenes inhibit protein synthesis by binding the ribosome, and trigger what is often called the ribotoxic stress response. The characteristic acute effects are feed refusal, vomiting (hence vomitoxin), reduced weight gain and gastrointestinal irritation. Pigs are markedly more sensitive than ruminants or poultry, which is why DON is a persistent commercial problem for swine producers.
IARC places deoxynivalenol in Group 3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. The concerns are immunotoxicity, growth effects and acute gastrointestinal effects rather than cancer.
In 2017 the EFSA CONTAM Panel established a group tolerable daily intake of 1 µg/kg body weight per day for the sum of DON, 3-acetyl-DON, 15-acetyl-DON and DON-3-glucoside, based on reduced body weight gain. JECFA had previously set a provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of the same magnitude. EFSA also set an acute reference dose of 8 µg/kg body weight for the same group.
Regulatory limits in brief
The EU levels were lowered by Regulation (EU) 2024/1022 and have applied since 1 July 2024: 1 000 µg/kg for unprocessed cereal grains other than durum wheat, maize and oats; 1 500 µg/kg for durum wheat and maize; and 1 750 µg/kg for unprocessed oat grains with the husk. In Canada, the CFIA's RG-8 values for DON in feed are regulatory guidelines rather than legislated maxima. The full tables are on our mycotoxin limits page.
EU feed guidance is also changing: Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/1801 applies from 1 July 2027, and from 1 October 2027 for maize, sorghum, soybean and sunflower products.
How laboratories measure it
DON has no useful native fluorescence, so HPLC with UV detection after immunoaffinity or solid-phase clean-up is the classic chromatographic route, and LC-MS/MS is now standard, particularly where the acetylated forms and DON-3-glucoside have to be resolved alongside the parent compound. ELISA and lateral-flow kits are heavily used at grain elevators for intake screening, where a result in minutes matters more than a result to three significant figures.
Because DON is so commonly measured, it is also one of the compounds where calibration drift and standard quality show up quickly in proficiency testing. A DON standard of documented identity and purity, available in the quantity the programme actually needs, is the starting point for any of these methods.
Deoxynivalenol (DON) reference standard
Produced in our own Canadian laboratory, from analytical quantities through to gram and kilogram scale. Catalogue pricing is published for analytical sizes.
See the standard →Common questions
Why is deoxynivalenol called vomitoxin?
Because of its characteristic acute effect. DON causes feed refusal and vomiting, most markedly in pigs, which are considerably more sensitive to it than ruminants or poultry.
What is the tolerable daily intake for DON?
The EFSA CONTAM Panel established a group tolerable daily intake of 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day in 2017, covering DON together with 3-acetyl-DON, 15-acetyl-DON and DON-3-glucoside, plus an acute reference dose of 8 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.
Is deoxynivalenol carcinogenic?
IARC classifies deoxynivalenol in Group 3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. The established concerns are immunotoxicity, reduced growth and acute gastrointestinal effects.
What is DON-3-glucoside and why does it matter?
It is a modified form produced by the plant, in which DON is conjugated to glucose. Routine methods that target only the parent compound can under-report total exposure, which is why EFSA includes it in the group tolerable daily intake.
Did the EU limits for DON change recently?
Yes. Regulation (EU) 2024/1022 lowered the maximum levels for deoxynivalenol, and they have applied since 1 July 2024.
Sources
- EFSA CONTAM Panel, Risks to human and animal health related to the presence of deoxynivalenol and its acetylated and modified forms in food and feed (2017)
- IARC Monographs, Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, RG-8 Regulatory Guidance: Contaminants in Feed