The Influence of Fusarium Infection and Associated Mycotoxin Contamination on the Technological Value and Chemical Composition of Wheat Grain

Wheat is one of the world’s most important cereal crops, and its technological quality is essential for the production of flour, dough and bakery products. Fusarium infection and the associated accumulation of mycotoxins may adversely affect grain composition, processing performance and food safety. This review summarizes current knowledge on the influence of Fusarium infection and associated mycotoxin contamination on the chemical composition and technological quality of wheat. A literature search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection, and eligible studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. The reviewed studies demonstrate that Fusarium infection generally reduces grain quality, gluten functionality, dough rheological properties and baking performance, although the magnitude and direction of changes depend on the Fusarium species, wheat cultivar, infection model and mycotoxin concentration. Considerable heterogeneity among experimental designs limits direct comparison of individual studies. By integrating evidence across grain, flour, dough and bread quality parameters, this review provides a comprehensive and comparative synthesis of the effects of different Fusarium species and associated mycotoxins on wheat technological quality and identifies major areas requiring further investigation.