Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Aflatoxin M1 Intake through Consumption of Milk and Yoghurt by Student Population in Serbia and Greece

Abstract

The objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) intake through the consumption of milk and yoghurt by the student population in Serbia and Greece. A food consumption survey of milk and yoghurt was performed during the first half of 2018 in the two countries with at least 500 interviewees (aged between 18 and 27 years) per country, covering their dietary habits and body weight based on one-day and seven-day recall methods. Values for the concentration of AFM1 were extracted from published research. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis of 100,000 iterations was performed to estimate the intake of AFM1 from the consumption of the two dairy products. Results revealed that the estimated average exposure of students to AFM1 was in the range of 1.238–2.674 ng kg−1 bw day−1 for Serbia, and 0.350–0.499 ng kg−1 bw day−1 for Greece, depending on the dietary recall method employed. High estimations for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases/year/105 individuals, depending on the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive individuals (HBsAg+), were 0.0036–0.0047 and 0.0007–0.0009 for Serbia and Greece, respectively. Presented Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Index (HI) values indicate increased risk from exposure to AFM1, particularly in Serbia.

The Occurrence and Dietary Exposure Assessment of Mycotoxins, Biogenic Amines, and Heavy Metals in Mould-Ripened Blue Cheeses

“…These data are in agreement with the results reported by other researchers, which also noted high Tyr levels in Italian and other mould-ripened cheeses: 627 mg kg −1 [38], 308.7 mg kg −1 and 308.65-585. 47 mg kg −1 in cheese made from sheep milk [14].…”

“…For carcinogens, such as AFM 1 , a tolerable daily intake is generally not determined. It is recommended that the concentration of such compounds in food should be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) [47]. A reference dose of 570 ng kg −1 bw day −1 has been calculated for toxic effects in Fischer rats [47].…”

“…It is recommended that the concentration of such compounds in food should be as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) [47]. A reference dose of 570 ng kg −1 bw day −1 has been calculated for toxic effects in Fischer rats [47]. We converted the reference dose by applying an interspecies safety factor of 10 to obtain an aRfD of 57 ng kg −1 bw day −1 for humans.…”

How do Kosovar and Albanian consumers perceive food quality and safety in the dairy sector?

“…Western Balkan Countries (collectively, one of the poorest regions in Europe) face serious problems with their national food safety control systems in terms of legislation, infrastructure, institutional capacity and enforcement, and related private investments, the effects of which pose both real and perceived safety risks for consumers. The problems in the Agricultural Health and Food Safety System have been identified by several studies, especially in the meat (Imami et al, 2011) and dairy sectors (Gjeci et al, 2015;Zhllima et al, 2015;Haas et al, 2016, Udovicki et al, 2019. Brucellosis and aflatoxin production has been a major health concern for small dairy farmers (Gjeci et al, 2015), while similar concerns are being raised in Serbia (Udovicki et al, 2019).…”

“…The problems in the Agricultural Health and Food Safety System have been identified by several studies, especially in the meat (Imami et al, 2011) and dairy sectors (Gjeci et al, 2015;Zhllima et al, 2015;Haas et al, 2016, Udovicki et al, 2019. Brucellosis and aflatoxin production has been a major health concern for small dairy farmers (Gjeci et al, 2015), while similar concerns are being raised in Serbia (Udovicki et al, 2019). One of the reasons for this situation, in addition to weak law enforcement, is limited farmer awareness about animal diseases and food safety standards and their consequences in terms of health risks for farm households and end consumers (Gjeci et al, 2016).…”