What is DON is a

Question

DON is a
1. Natural toxicant
2. Mycotoxin
3. Permitted flavour
4. Heavy metal contaminant

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Mycotoxin

DON is a mycotoxin also known as Deoxynivalenol.

• Deoxynivalenol (DON) is also known as vomitoxin.
• It is a naturally occurring mycotoxin mainly produced by Fusarium graminearum.
• This mycotoxin is mainly found in cereal grains like wheat, barley, rye, oats, and corn because these fungi mainly spoil the cereal grains.
• Food poisoning caused by DON in humans leads to abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, throat irritation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and blood loss with stools. 
• DON is a very stable compound during the storage, milling, processing, and cooking of food and does not degrade at high temperatures.

• Natural Toxicants are also known as anti-nutritional factors. They bind with the nutrients present in the food when ingested and reduce the bioavailability of vital nutrients, due to which the body is unable to absorb nutrients. Some examples are protease inhibitors, phytic acid, oxalates, etc.
• Permitted flavors are those flavoring substances that are either natural, nature-identical, or synthetic in composition and are allowed to be added to food at a given specific limit. For example, spices, essential oils, fruit extracts, flavonoids, etc. Common salt and sucrose also aid in giving flavor.
• Heavy Metal contaminants are discharged into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and other industrial emissions. Once it is present in air, water, or soil, it is then taken up by plants and animals, through which heavy metals can make their way into the food chain. Heavy metal poisoning in humans may lead to malfunctioning of the nervous system, cancer, vision loss, impaired hearing, etc. Some examples of heavy metals are which are also most common are Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic.