The fate of labelled insecticide residues in food products. IV. —The possible toxicological and nutritional significance of fumigating wheat with methyl bromide

The major products of the chemical reactions between methyl bromide and the constituents of wheat under the conditions of fumigation have been characterized or identified. Their rate of absorption by an adult human consuming fumigated flour products has been estimated. The likely nature of the effective end‐products of human digestion has been considered and is believed to be represented by the compounds, methanol, methylglucoses, S‐methylcysteine, methyl methionine sulphonium salts, and N ‐methyl derivatives of histidine and lysine. These appear to be compounds which have been fed experimentally to mammals at concentrations very much larger than those likely to obtain in fumigated wheat. In some cases their metabolism in vivo has also been studied. On the basis of all the available data an appraisal has been made of the toxicological and nutritional significance of consuming fumigated flour products. There is no evidence that the principal fumigant decomposition products are toxic or that their formation would be associated with any significant reduction in essential food constituents.