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Worldwide, barley is the main source of carbohydrate in the brewing process. However, corn is often used as an adjunct to improve and accelerate the fermentation process. Considering that, these two substrates are susceptible to fungal contamination as well as mycotoxins. The objective of the current study is to determine the incidence of the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ) in industrial beers. The method applied for mycotoxin analyses included high performance liquid chromatography . The mean levels for recovery experiments were 89.6% for DON and 93.3% for FB 1 . DON was not detected in any of the analyzed samples whereas FB 1 was found in 49% of the 114 samples. The current survey demonstrated levels of FB 1 contamination in industrial beer, possibly due to the addition of contaminated adjuncts. It is necessary to establish maximum levels of mycotoxins in beer in Brazil and other countries in order to reduce health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The carbon stable isotope ratio (δ13C) has become an important tool to determine the composition and quality of various beverages, indicating the amount of C3- and C4-sources used in brewing. Accordingly, we assessed the isotopic composition of beers produced in Brazil and abroad, in order to quantify the use of C4-sources as adjuncts. We also related the presence of such adjuncts to beer price, and compared the current results to similar studies, in order to assess any differences regarding beer composition over time. The mean δ13C value for Brazilian beers was around −22.0‰, indicating a high addition of C4-adjuncts during the brewing process. A dichotomy of beer isotopic signatures was observed: beers from large breweries had higher δ13C values (around −20.0‰) than beer from artisanal breweries (−25.0‰). Beer price per L was directly related to δ13C values in Brazil and abroad. This significant relationship, in addition to the 13C-enrichment observed in this study, may reflect a change in the Brazilian beer market, in which a greater variety of beverages are produced and marketed following traditional recipes regarding their purity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]