Food Safety Standards Required of Producers: Nearly 90% of Food Service Workers Unaware of Product Suspension and Recall Due to Wheat DON Standard Exceedance

■ Survey on Mycotoxins and DON

Mycotoxins are harmful substances produced by molds.

Among them, DON (deoxynivalenol) is prone to occur when grains such as wheat and barley are infected with Fusarium head blight, and is considered to have potential health effects.

Since these are raw materials for breads, noodles, and other foods consumed daily, their safety is a concern.

So, how much do people with experience in the food industry know about these mycotoxins and DON?

Therefore, this time, in collaboration with Hiyoshi Co., Ltd., we conducted a questionnaire on mycotoxins and DON targeting 125 men and women nationwide who answered in a preliminary survey that they had experience working in food-related jobs.

*When citing the content of this press release, please comply with the following:

- Indicate that the source is a survey by NEXER Co., Ltd. and Hiyoshi Co., Ltd.
- Include a link to Hiyoshi Online Inspection Web (https://hiyoshi-online.com/) operated by Hiyoshi Co., Ltd.

"Survey on Mycotoxins and DON" Overview

Survey method: Internet questionnaire

Survey period: May 22, 2026 to May 31, 2026

Survey target: Men and women nationwide who answered in a preliminary survey that they have experience in food-related work

Valid responses: 125 samples

Questions:

Q1: Have you ever seen or heard the terms "mycotoxin," "Fusarium head blight," or "DON (deoxynivalenol)" in news or industry information?

Q2: In your work, to what extent are you aware of the risk of mycotoxins being present in food?

Q3: Did you know that if wheat is confirmed to exceed the DON standard (1.0 mg/kg), products are subject to shipment suspension and recall?

Q4: Did you know about "DON (mycotoxin) testing," which can numerically measure harmful mycotoxins in grains?

Q5: In the future, would you want to request mycotoxin test results from suppliers for your procurement (wheat, rice, corn, etc.)?

Q6: What kind of efforts do you expect from food manufacturers and agricultural producers to ensure safety? (Multiple answers allowed)

Q7: Please tell us specifically what kind of efforts you expect from food manufacturers and agricultural producers to ensure safety.

*Note: Figures are rounded to the second decimal place, so totals may not equal 100%.

■ 64.8% answered they "hardly knew" mycotoxin-related terms

First, we asked whether they had seen or heard the terms "mycotoxin," "Fusarium head blight," and "DON."

"Hardly ever heard" accounted for 38.4%, and "did not know at all" accounted for 26.4%, totaling 64.8% who were unfamiliar with these terms.

On the other hand, "have heard of them" was 25.6%, and "know well" was 9.6%.

Even among people with experience in food-related work, many are not regularly exposed to these terms.

■ 72.8% answered they are "not aware" of the risk of mycotoxins

Next, we asked to what extent they are aware of the risk of mycotoxins in food in their work.

"Not very aware" was 55.2%, and "not aware at all" was 17.6%, totaling 72.8% who said they are generally not aware of the risk.

On the other hand, "aware when procuring/checking ingredients" was 15.2%, and "always aware" was 12.0%, totaling 27.2% who said they are aware.

It shows that a certain percentage are regularly dealing with risks in the food field.

■ 94.4% answered they "did not know" about shipment suspension and recall due to standard exceedance

Next, we asked if they knew that if wheat is confirmed to exceed the DON standard (1.0 mg/kg), products are subject to shipment suspension and recall.

The result was that 94.4% answered "did not know," indicating that most people were unaware of the existence of standards that lead to shipment suspension and recall.

Only 5.6% answered "knew."

Domestically, there are established standards, and if exceeded, shipments are stopped.

However, even among food industry veterans, the system is largely unknown.

It seems there is a gap between the rules and the reality on the ground.

■ 74.4% answered they "did not know at all" about DON (mycotoxin) testing

Next, we asked if they knew about "DON (mycotoxin) testing," which can numerically measure harmful mycotoxins in grains.

"Did not know at all" accounted for the majority at 74.4%.

"Only heard the name" was 12.8%, "knew but never used in work" was 9.6%, and "knew and have used or considered using in work" was only 3.2%.

It appears that the existence of testing methods has not yet permeated.

■ 47.2% answered they "would like to" request test results from suppliers

Next, as a future intention, we asked whether they would like to request mycotoxin test results from suppliers for their procurement (wheat, rice, corn, etc.).

"Definitely want to request" was 20.8%, "would like to if possible" was 26.4%, totaling 47.2% showing a positive attitude. "Undecided" was 30.4%, "not very eager to request" was 12.0%, and "not at all eager to request" was 10.4%.

Despite the majority not knowing the terms or tests, after explanation, 47.2% said they would like to request. It suggests that many people, once informed, want to verify.

■ 68.8% selected "regular safety inspections by third-party testing organizations" as expected efforts

Finally, we asked what kind of efforts they expect from food manufacturers and agricultural producers to ensure safety.

The most common was "regular safety inspections by third-party testing organizations" at 68.8%.

Next was "active disclosure of test results (to business partners and consumers)" at 49.6%, and "testing by organizations with international accreditation (e.g., ISO 17025)" at 42.4%.

Furthermore, "strengthening inspection systems for all lots before shipment" was 40.0%, "strengthening quality control and cultivation management in response to climate change" was 33.6%, and "providing inspection certificates to restaurants" was 28.8%.

Expectations for third-party checks and result disclosure ranked high, not just internal efforts.

We also asked about specific expected efforts, and introduce some:

What kind of efforts do you expect for ensuring safety?

- A system that ensures safety before receipt. (20s, female)
- Make it so that only companies that clearly indicate safety can sell.