Abstract
In this study, the presence and concentration of Zearalenone (ZEN), Nivalenol (NIV), and trichothecene (T-2) in beer were analyzed, and non-carcinogenic risk was assessed using the target hazard quotient (THQ). The search was conducted in Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed until February 26, 2024. Seven articles with 46 data reports were included in the study. The combined occurrence of ZEN, NIV, and T-2 was 15.42% (95%CI: 4.01-31.69), 15.07% (95%CI: 2.73-33.41), and 6.60% (95%CI: 0.60-16.63), respectively. The combined ZEN, NIV, and T-2 concentrations were 13.67 ug/l, 13.41 ug/l, and 2.54 ug/l, respectively. The meta-regression analysis showed that the occurrence of ZEN, NIV, and T-2 decreased over time insignificantly (p-value = 0.796). The THQ due to ZEN and T-2 in South Africa and Spain was higher than 1, respectively. Therefore, it is recommended that more effective beer quality control plans be implemented in South Africa and Spain. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-025-06367-z.