Risk assessment of Portuguese children exposed to single and multiple mycotoxins in breakfast cereals

Assunção, Ricardo; Vasco, Elsa; Nunes, Baltazar; Loureiro, S.; Martins, Carla; Alvito, Paula

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/3049

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Abstract(s)

In human health risk assessment, ingestion of food is considered a major route of exposure to many contaminants, namely mycotoxins, a wide group of fungal secondary metabolites that cause toxic and carcinogenic outcomes in humans exposed to them1. OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to characterize, for the first time, the risk associated with the exposure of Portuguese children to single and multiple mycotoxins present in breakfast cereals (BC). METHODOLOGIES: Portuguese children (0-3 years old) food consumption data (n=103) were performed using a 3 days food diary. Occurrence data concerned the quantification of 12 mycotoxins (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins and trichothecenes) were evaluated in 34 BC samples marketed in 2014 in Lisboa. Daily exposure of children to mycotoxins were performed using a deterministic (Microsoft Excel 2007) and probabilistic (@Risk 6 for Excel, Palisade) approaches. The output of exposure was compared to the dose reference values (TDI) in order to calculate the margin of safety (MOS). For the cumulative risk assessment of multiple mycotoxins, the concentration addition (CA) concept was used2,3. Different strategies had been considered to treat the left censored data4. RESULTS: 88% of BC samples were contaminated with mycotoxins including 1 to 7 different toxins. Approximately 23 % of the studied children consumed BC at least one time in these 3 days. Preliminary results showed that children exposure to single mycotoxins present in BC were well below the TDI. MOS values for multiple mycotoxins were near 1. CONCLUSIONS: This study concerns the first risk assessment of Portuguese children to single and multiple mycotoxins in BC. Children are a particularly vulnerable population group to food contaminants and the present results point out an urgent need to establish legal limits and control strategies regarding the presence of multiple mycotoxins in children foods in order to protect their health.