Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemical compounds comprised of carbon and hydrogen molecules in a cyclic arrangement. PAHs are associated with risks to human health, especially carcinogenesis. One form of exposure to these compounds is through ingestion of contaminated food, which can occur during preparation and processing involving high temperatures (e.g., grilling, smoking, toasting, roasting, and frying) as well as through PAHs present in the soil, air, and water (i.e., environmental pollution). Differently from changes caused by microbiological characteristics and lipid oxidation, consumers cannot sensorially perceive PAH contamination in food products, thereby hindering their ability to reject these foods. Herein, the occurrence and biological effects of PAHs were comprehensively explored, as well as analytical methods to monitor their levels, legislations, and strategies to reduce their generation in food products. This review updates the current knowledge and addresses recent regulation changes concerning the widespread PAHs contamination in several types of food, often surpassing the concentration limits deemed acceptable by current legislations. Therefore, effective measures involving different food processing strategies are needed to prevent and reduce PAHs contamination, thereby decreasing human exposure and detrimental health effects. Furthermore, gaps in literature have been addressed to provide a basis for future studies.

The present study aimed to analyze the mycoflora and potential mycotoxin contamination of soil and corn samples collected at different plant maturity stages in Capão Bonito and Ribeirão Preto, two regions of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. In addition, the data obtained were correlated with the occurrence of wind-dispersed fungi and the predominant climatic conditions of the two regions studied. Corn mycoflora profiles showed that Fusarium verticillioides prevailed in 35% of the samples from Capão Bonito and in 49% of the samples from Ribeirão Preto. Examination of wind-dispersed fungi also revealed a high incidence of F. verticillioides. Soil mycoflora analyses showed that Penicilliumwas the most prevalent genus, although F. verticillioides was present in 55.5% of Capão Bonito's samples and in 26.7% of Ribeirão Preto's samples. With respect to water activity, the corn kernels most contaminated with F. verticillioides had water activity levels of 0.70-0.80. HPLC analysis of fumonisins revealed that 88.5% of Capão Bonito's kernels were contaminated with fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) (0.09-10.87 microg/g) and 53.8% with fumonisin B(2) (FB(2)) (0.05-0.52 microg/g); Ribeirão Preto's kernels presented contamination levels of 93.5% for FB(1) (0.11-17.69 microg/g) and 61.3% for FB(2) (0.05-5.24 microg/g). No aflatoxins were detected by thin-layer chromatography in corn grains of either region. The concomitant occurrence of F. verticillioides and fumonisins in most of the field corn assayed demonstrates the importance of an effective control of cultivation throughout the plant maturity stages.

No abstract

No abstract

During the summer of 2005, a total of 101 samples of wines and grape juices purchased from supermarkets and retail stores in São Paulo city were analysed for the presence of Ochratoxin A (OTA). OTA was evaluated in 29 red wines and 38 grape juices produced in Brazil and in 34 imported red wines (from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and South Africa). OTA was extracted in an immunoaffinity column and detected by HPLC with fluorescence detection, according to EN 14133/2003. The detection and quantification limits established were 0.01 and 0.03 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries for wine samples were 94.1, 82.5, 86.1% and the relative standard deviation were 6.10, 1.03, 4.11% at levels of 0.03, 2.0, 5.0 ng/mL, respectively. For grape juice, the recovery was 86.2% and the RSD was 2.01% at a level of 0.4 ng/mL. OTA contamination was found in nine of the 29 Brazilian red wines with levels ranging from 0.10 to 1.33 ng/mL and in 18 of the 34 imported red wines with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.32 ng/mL. OTA was not detected in any of the grape juice samples analysed. Although the results from the wine samples analysed for the presence of OTA were below to the limits established by EC 123/2005 (2.0 ng/mL), low and continuous exposure to this mycotoxin could be a risk to human health.