Exploring the toxic effects of MYCOtoxins MIXtures in infant food and potential health impact

Alvito, Paula; Arruda, Noélia; Assunção, Ricardo; Barreira, M.J.; Vasco, Elsa; Tavares, Ana; Calhau, Maria Antónia

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/2684

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Authors

Calhau, Maria Antónia

Abstract(s)

There is growing concern within public health about mycotoxin involvement in human diseases particularly related to children´s exposure through contaminated food1 . The natural co-occurrence of mycotoxins is an increasing concern which could be expected to exert greater toxicity and carcinogenicity than exposure to single mycotoxins2. The present project aimed to study the occurrence of multiple mycotoxins and toxicity interactions in baby foods and cereals consumed by Portuguese children. Scarce data are available in the literature concerning the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in infant food and their combined toxicity and no data exists in Portugal concerning this issue. This project gathered a multidisciplinary team in order to answer to several questions: 1) Are children exposed daily to mycotoxins through food? 2) What are the quality and quantity that characterize this exposure? 3) Can this exposure bring harm to children? Will it put them on risk? The co-occurrence of several mycotoxins were evaluated in different infant foods (cereal based) marketed at Portugal (Lisboa). These results, combined with the consumption data from a food consumption survey performed at the Primary Health Care Unit from Cidadela, Cascais (children aged until 3 years old) were used to estimate the intake of mycotoxins in Portugal, through a probabilistic approach using @Risk software. Toxicological studies including bioavailability and absorption of mycotoxins3 and its interactive effects4 were also performed.