Risk assessment of foods consumed by children: a case study

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

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/5745

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Abstract(s)

Children can be biologically more sensitive to certain toxicants on a body weight basis than adults. Current understanding of the rates of maturation of metabolism and evidence from case studies indicated that this population group typically lack the capacity to detoxify and eliminate substances as readily as adults. Consequently, a disproportionate burden of exposure from food contaminants, as mycotoxins, is borne by children. In many parts of the world, children are routinely exposed to many mycotoxins via food chain and aflatoxins, fumonisins and deoxynivalenol are the three most common. Risk assessment constitutes an essential component in modern science-based food safety systems and plays a growing and important role in guiding food safety authorities. Most studies have focused on the risk assessment of single mycotoxins and there are scarce data concerning the risk associated with human exposure to multiple mycotoxins in foods, especially for those intended for children consumption. MYCOMIX, a recent Portuguese project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsKaz3mt2J4), assessed for the first time, the risk associated with the simultaneous exposure to 13 mycotoxins in cereal-based food products usually consumed by children until 3 years old from Lisbon region, Portugal. Results on mycotoxins occurrence showed that 94% of the analysed samples were contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, although at levels below the legislated limits. Co-contamination was observed in 75% of the analysed samples. Estimated aflatoxins exposure suggested a potential adverse health effect for percentiles of intake above or equal to P50, determined through margin of exposure concept. Considering the potential benefit effects linked to the consumption of cereal-based products, as those associated with fibres, future studies considering the risk-benefit assessment are of utmost importance to establish recommendations based on scientific evidences to protect children’s health.

Keywords

Segurança Alimentar Toxicologia Avaliação de Risco Saúde Humana Determinantes da Saúde e da Doença Food Contaminants Mycotoxins Risk-benefit Assessment Children