Risk assessment of mycotoxins in stored maize: case study of Shandong, China

Abstract

Risk characterisation of dietary exposure of aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FBs), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) in maize from Shandong Province was conducted in this study. A total of 520 maize samples were collected after harvesting in 2014 and 2015 from 26 selected villages in Shandong Province, China. A deterministic approach was used in the current study. The dietary intake data of maize was obtained from ‘Shandong Statistical Yearbook 2018’. The risk characterisation of FBs, DON, and ZEA was evaluated in 4 population groups (2 to 6-year-old children, standard adults, city adults and village adults) based on probable intake. 2 to 6-year-old children and adults were exposed to FBs (0.42 and 0.20 μg/kg body weight (bw)/day), DON (0.04 and 0.019 μg/kg bw/day), and ZEA (0.0024 and 0.0011 μg/kg bw/day) through mean maize consumption in diets, which was lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of each mycotoxin established by JECFA. Risk assessments showed a low risk for liver cancer due to consumption of aflatoxin B1 (0.027-0.21 cases per 100,000 persons per year) contaminated maize compared with China’s current liver cancer incidence of 24.6 cases per 100,000 persons per year.

Incidence of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Wheat and Corn from Albania

“…The incidence of AFB1 and aFs in corn samples in our study (58% and 71%, respectively) is comparable to the results from Serbia [ 33 , 35 , 56 ] given in Table 4 , while in other studies, a lower incidence was reported [ 4 , 38 , 39 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. In Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, the EU, Egypt, China, the Middle East, and African countries, it was 0–45.4% [ 4 , 38 , 39 , 43 , 45 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 53 , 54 ].…”

“…The incidence of AFB1 and aFs in corn samples in our study (58% and 71%, respectively) is comparable to the results from Serbia [33,35,56] given in Table 4, while in other studies, a lower incidence was reported [4,38,39,43,45,[47][48][49][52][53][54]. In Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, the EU, Egypt, China, the Middle East, and African countries, it was 0-45.4% [4,38,39,43,45,[47][48][49][52][53][54]. In a global survey on the occurrence of mycotoxins in feed performed in 100 countries, an AFB1 incidence of 24% was reported [48], while Lee and Ryu [60] reported a 55% incidence for aFs based on global occurrence data reported from 2006 to 2016.…”

“…Further reports on contamination with Afs, as well as with OTA, in cereals and cereal products from European countries have been published by Binder et al [ 40 ], Serrano et al [ 41 ], Bryła et al [ 42 ], Jakovac–Strajn et al [ 43 ], Alkadri et al [ 44 ], Kirinčič et al [ 45 ], EFSA [ 24 ], Pleadin et al [ 46 , 47 ], Gagiu et al [ 38 ], and Marin et al [ 4 ]. There are several surveys on the occurrence of AFs from other parts of the world reported by Gruber–Dorninger et al [ 48 ], Rodrigues et al [ 49 ], Aasa et al [ 50 ], Ayeni et al [ 51 ], Abdallah et al [ 52 ], Dong et al, [ 53 ], Jiang et al [ 54 ], and Sun et al [ 55 ].…”

Risk assessments for the dietary intake aflatoxins in food: A systematic review (2016–2022)

“…The estimated liver cancer risk of 0.038 and 0.23 cancers/year/100,000 population and 0.018 and 0.19 cancers/year/100,000 population was reported for children and adults at mean and high consumption level, respectively, which is lower than China's current liver cancer incidence i.e., 24.6 cases per 100,000 per year. Therefore, a low health risk was concluded (Dong et al, 2020). Similarly, in spite of the lower MOEs (<100), a total diet risk assessment by Zhang et al (2020) suggested a low risk of liver cancer for the population of Guangzhou, China as the estimated risk of liver cancer (0.0264 cancers/year/100,000 population) was lower than China's liver cancer incidence i.e.…”

Foreword – special issue Mycotoxins in China

“…The risk of human exposure to multiple mycotoxins raised a growing concern about their potential impact on human health. Dong et al (2020) characterised the risk of dietary exposure of aflatoxins, fumonisins (FBs), DON and zearalenone (ZEN) in maize from the Shandong province. Evaluation of mycotoxins in 520 maize samples showed that the average concentration did not exceed the Chinese regulatory limit, although the incidences of each mycotoxin in maize were high.…”