Exposure to aflatoxin B1 in Thailand by consumption of brown and color rice

Abstract

This study assessed the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) intake of the Thai population through consumption of contaminated brown and color rice. A total of 240 rice samples from two harvesting periods were collected in June/July 2012 (period I) and in December 2012/January 2013 (period II) and analyzed for AFB1 by HPLC with fluorescence detection (limit of detection (LOD) = 0.093 ng/g). Exposure assessment was based on AFB1 levels in rice and food intake data for rice according to Thai National Consumption. Frequency and levels of AFB1 were higher in period I (59%, <LOD = 26.61 μg kg(-1)) than in period II (10%, <LOD = 3.51 μg kg(-1)). Only one sample exceeded the Thai standard limit for total aflatoxin of 20 μg kg(-1), but 12 out of 240 rice samples exceeded the European Union maximum level for AFB1 of 2 μg kg(-1). The data showed that the quality and safety of Thai rice largely comply with the requirement for both exports and domestic consumption. According to the Thai National Consumption data, the estimated AFB1 intake via rice consumption in period I and period II was 0.80 and 0.12 μg kg(-1) bw day(-1), respectively. The potential risk for cancer, based on the recommendation of the JECFA, was estimated to be 0.011 person/year/100,000 people at a mean consumption. Although the risk via consumption of Thai rice seems to be low, the maximum levels of AFB1 in this staple food suggest that careful monitoring and surveillance of AFB1 contamination in rice is essential to ensure the safety of rice.

Multiple Mycotoxins in Rice: Occurrence and Health Risk Assessment in Children and Adults of Punjab, Pakistan

“…Based on these results, it is obvious that the intake of contaminated rice is of great public health concern. Our results for the estimated cancer risk and MoE due to AFB 1 intake by rice consumption are comparable with those of previous studies reported for Japan [ 67 ] and Thailand [ 40 ]. The study for Japan measured a cancer risk of 0.031 cancer/year/10 5 , and a MoE of 141 for children (age 7–14 years) resulting from AFB 1 intake by rice consumption, while in adults the values of cancer risk and margin of exposure were 0.021 cancer/year/10 5 and 209 MoE, respectively [ 67 ].…”

“…Because of the low contamination levels, the dietary exposures to AFB 1 from rice and wheat intake in French adults (<LOD—0.018 ng/kg b.w./day) and children (<LOD—0.035 ng/kg b.w./day) [ 38 ], as well as in the Lebanese population (0.63–0.66 ng/kg b.w/ day) based on total diet intake were lower than those observe in the present study [ 68 ]. The current data is higher than the reported mean dietary exposure to AFB 1 (0.8 and 0.12 ng/kg b.w./day) by rice consumption in Thailand in the years 2012 and 2013 [ 40 ]. Also, the dietary exposure to AFB 1 (0.033 ng/kg b.w./day) in Morocco [ 44 ] and that to total AFs in French adults (0.014 ng/kg b.w./day) and children (0.077 ng/kg b.w./day) [ 39 ] are lower than those observed in the current study.…”

“…The mean dietary exposure of OTA was higher in Chinese adults (4.62 ng/kg b.w./day) and children (13.9 ng/kg b.w./day) because of a higher consumption level of cereals [ 70 ]. The mean OTA exposure values of 0.0004 ng/kg b.w./day in US adults and 0.001 ng/kg b.w./day in US children aged >6–18 years [ 35 ], 0.02 ng/kg b.w./day in Turkish rice consumers [ 36 ], 0.17 ng/kg b.w./day in Spain [ 46 ], 0.08 ng/kg b.w./day in French adults, 0.19 ng/kg b.w./day in French children [ 40 ], and 0.0428 ng/kg b.w./day in Moroccans [ 44 ] by rice consumption were lower than those reported in our study.…”

“…The estimated mean exposure values for DON, 5.97 ng/kg b.w./day in the Nigerian population [ 37 ] and 0.18 ng/kg b.w./day in the Moroccan population [ 44 ], and 1.56 ng/kg b.w./day in the Lebanese population [ 68 ] were lower than those reported in the current study data. The mean estimated exposure values of 3.8 ng/kg b.w./day in French adults, 42.5 ng/kg b.w/ day in children [ 40 ], 0.042 ng/kg b.w./day in the Moroccan population [ 45 ], and 19.13 ng/kg b.w./day in the Nigerian population [ 37 ] for FBs by rice intake were lower than those found in the present study. In contrast, a higher FBs mean exposure of 536 ng/kg b.w./day in Northern Vietnam adults and 1019 ng/kg b.w./day in children was reported [ 43 ].…”

“…In Pakistan, the previous studies are mostly restricted to the determination of aflatoxins, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A contamination using nonconfirmatory analytical techniques [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], while mycotoxin contamination in rice at a global level has been reviewed by Ferre et al and Tanaka et al [ 32 , 33 ]. The studies on the dietary exposure to mycotoxins through rice consumption were performed in different countries, like Iran [ 34 ], United States [ 35 ], Turkey [ 36 ], Nigeria [ 37 ], France [ 38 , 39 ], Thailand [ 40 ], Korea [ 41 ], Vietnam [ 42 , 43 ], Mediterranean region [ 44 ], Africa [ 45 ], Spain [ 46 ], West Africa [ 47 ], and Portugal [ 48 ].…”