Aflatoxin M1 in processed milk and infant formulae and corresponding exposure of adult population in Serbia in 2013-2014

Aflatoxins in maize, milk and dairy products from Serbia

This study presents data on the occurrence of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in maize and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk and dairy products from Serbia in 2022. A total of 100 maize samples were analysed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, while 107 cow and goat milk, besides dairy products were tested with an ELISA method. Aflatoxins contaminated 78% of the maize samples, with aflatoxin B1 as the most prevalent aflatoxin, also at the highest determined level. All milk samples tested positive for AFM1, while contamination in dairy products ranged from 14% to 100%. The hot and dry weather during the 2022 maize growing season, characterised by moderate to extreme drought conditions, significantly increased maize contamination with aflatoxins, impacting subsequent milk and dairy products contamination. The findings of this study confirm the continuous trend and persistent challenge in Serbia concerning the prevalence of aflatoxins in maize and milk, closely linked to climate change.

Aflatoxin B1 Occurrence in Children under the Age of Five's Food Products and Aflatoxin M1 Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Arab Infants through Consumption of Infant Powdered Formula: A Lebanese Experience

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a salient metabolite that can be used to assess Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB1) exposure in humans and animals. The carcinogenic potency of AFB1 and AFM1 was severely reported. The aims of this study were (1) to survey the contamination level of AFM1 in the most traded infant powdered formula brands (IPF) (n = 42) along with the AFB1 level in under 5's children food brands (biscuits, cornflakes, and cereals) (n = 42) and (2) to assess the estimated daily intake (EDI), the hazard quotient (HQ) and the margin of exposure (MOE) of AFM1 among infants (0-12 months) in Lebanon. All of the samples were analyzed using ELISA technique. AFB1 was below detection limit in all of the children's food brands samples. Out of 42 IPF samples 9.5% were AFM1-positive in the range of 29.54-140.16 ng/L and exceeded the maximum tolerable limit (MTL) set by the European commission (25 ng/kg). The overall average contamination level was 5.72 ± 0.014 ng/L. The EDI of AMF1 for male was in the range of 0.37-0.78 ng/kg/b.w./day and 0.40-0.87 ng/kg/b.w./day for females. Similarly, the HQ calculation resulted in an average of 3.05 for males and 3.28 for females. MOE calculations were far lower from 10,000 in both genders which indicates a high risk of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Our findings show that AFM1's EDI, HQ and MOE scored high among Lebanese infants. As infants consume more IPF relative to their body weight, the persistence of IPF with high AFM1 levels threatens their health. Thus, infant's exposure risk to AFM1 in IPF should be a continuous focus of attention.

Review of occurrence of mycotoxins in Serbian food items in the period from 2005 to 2022

This paper aimed to review the publications on mycotoxins' presence in cereals and foodstuffs originated from the Serbian market covering the period from 2005 to 2022. The review covers all the important steps in mycotoxins analysis including sampling, sample preparation, instrumental analysis, and concentration ranges in which the mycotoxins were found. Also, the results were interpreted from the European Union regulation point of view. The review emphasizes the importance of multi-mycotoxins analysis for determining the simultaneous presence of mycotoxins that can negatively affect the Serbian human population. The most frequently used instrumental technique in the mycotoxin analysis of Serbian products was the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay followed by the Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Most of the studies undertaken in Serbia until now investigated a few groups of matrices such as wheat, maize, milk, and dairy products. Only a few studies involved specific matrices such as nuts, dried fruits, biscuits, cookies, and spices. The review showed that contamination of milk and dairy products with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), occurred at the very beginning of 2013, was the major health issue related to the population health. The contamination of milk and dairy products with the AFM1 was a consequence of maize contamination with aflatoxins which occurred in the year 2012, characterized by drought conditions. The studies dealing with the analysis of masked and emerging mycotoxins are rare and more attention should be paid to monitoring the presence of these types of mycotoxins in foodstuffs from Serbia.

Review of occurrence of mycotoxins in Serbian food items in the period from 2005 to 2022

This paper aimed to review the publications on mycotoxins' presence in cereals and foodstuffs originated from the Serbian market covering the period from 2005 to 2022. The review covers all the important steps in mycotoxins analysis including sampling, sample preparation, instrumental analysis, and concentration ranges in which the mycotoxins were found. Also, the results were interpreted from the European Union regulation point of view. The review emphasizes the importance of multi-mycotoxins analysis for determining the simultaneous presence of mycotoxins that can negatively affect the Serbian human population. The most frequently used instrumental technique in the mycotoxin analysis of Serbian products was the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay followed by the Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Most of the studies undertaken in Serbia until now investigated a few groups of matrices such as wheat, maize, milk, and dairy products. Only a few studies involved specific matrices such as nuts, dried fruits, biscuits, cookies, and spices. The review showed that contamination of milk and dairy products with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), occurred at the very beginning of 2013, was the major health issue related to the population health. The contamination of milk and dairy products with the AFM1 was a consequence of maize contamination with aflatoxins which occurred in the year 2012, characterized by drought conditions. The studies dealing with the analysis of masked and emerging mycotoxins are rare and more attention should be paid to monitoring the presence of these types of mycotoxins in foodstuffs from Serbia.

Presence of Aflatoxin M1 in Commercial Milk in Paraguay

ABSTRACT

The presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk is a public health concern because milk is a significant part of human diets worldwide. In economies where AFM1 monitoring is low or nonexistent, the possibility of AFM1 contamination might be increased. Our study was conducted to detect and quantify AFM1 in fluid milk and milk drinks of various brands, fat concentrations, packages, and heat treatments sold in the Metropolitan Area of Asunción, Paraguay. Eighty samples were collected from supermarkets in the Metropolitan Area of Asunción following a nonprobability sampling method. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for AFM1 (25 to 500 ppt) was used to quantify the toxin, and results were analyzed with nonparametric methods. All samples were positive values for AFM1 (above the detection limit of 25 ng/kg); 85% of the samples had 30 to 50 ng/kg, and 15% had >500 ng/kg. No significant difference in AFM1 concentration was found based on fat concentration, heat treatment, or type of packaging of these milk products; however, significant differences were found between brands.

HIGHLIGHTS

Detection of aflatoxin M1 in bovine milk from different agro-climatic zones of Chhattisgarh, India, using HPLC-FLD and assessment of human health risks

Concerns regarding food safety and 'One Health' are increasing globally. Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), a human carcinogenic toxin, is excreted by lactating animals in their milk after consumption of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B₁. The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine the occurrence of AFM₁ in cattle and buffalo milk produced in rural and peri-urban areas under different agro-climatic conditions of Chhattisgarh, India, and assesses human health risks. Analyses of 545 milk samples by validated high-performance liquid chromatography revealed high level of AFM₁ contamination in 224 (41.1%) samples with mean concentration of 0.137 ± 0.029 μg/L. Statistically significant differences (p< 0.05) were observed in the levels and frequency of AFM₁ occurrence among different agro-climatic zones. AFM₁ was more frequently detected in milk samples from Northern hills (64%) followed by Bastar plateau (40.7%) and Chhattisgarh plain (27.3%), with mean concentration levels of 0.396 ± 0.099 μg/L, 0.081 ± 0.025 μg/L and 0.013 ± 0.002 μg/L, respectively. Species wise no significant difference was observed in the detection frequency and concentration of AFM₁ in milk from cattle and buffalo. AFM₁ contamination above maximum permissible limits established by European commission and Food Safety and Standard Authority of India was detected in 21.3% and 4.4% of samples, respectively. The estimated daily intakes for AFM₁ were found to be higher than tolerable daily intakes for both adults and children, especially of Northern hills implying a potentially high risk to consumer's health. This study provides valuable information on the contamination status of milk in one of the fastest developing state of India. It also highlights the importance and need for continuous farmers' awareness on good animal husbandry practices, routine surveillance of mycotoxins in animal feeds and food commodities to safeguard human health.

Assessment of the Risk of Contamination of Food for Infants and Toddlers

Infants and toddlers are highly sensitive to contaminants in food. Chronic exposure can lead to developmental delays, disorders of the nervous, urinary and immune systems, and to cardiovascular disease. A literature review was conducted mainly in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases, and took into consideration papers published from October 2020 to March 2021. We focused on contaminant content, intake estimates, and exposure to contaminants most commonly found in foods consumed by infants and children aged 0.5-3 years. In the review, we included 83 publications with full access. Contaminants that pose a high health risk are toxic elements, acrylamide, bisphenol, and pesticide residues. Minor pollutants include: dioxins, mycotoxins, nitrates and nitrites, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In order to reduce the negative health effects of food contamination, it seems reasonable to educate parents to limit foods that are potentially dangerous for infants and young children. An appropriate varied diet, selected cooking techniques, and proper food preparation can increase the likelihood that the foods children consume are safe for their health. It is necessary to monitor food contamination, adhere to high standards at every stage of production, and improve the quality of food for children.

Predicted Aflatoxin B1 Increase in Europe Due to Climate Change: Actions and Reactions at Global Level

Climate change (CC) is predicted to increase the risk of aflatoxin (AF) contamination in maize, as highlighted by a project supported by EFSA in 2009. We performed a comprehensive literature search using the Scopus search engine to extract peer-reviewed studies citing this study. A total of 224 papers were identified after step I filtering (187 + 37), while step II filtering identified 25 of these papers for quantitative analysis. The unselected papers (199) were categorized as "actions" because they provided a sounding board for the expected impact of CC on AFB1 contamination, without adding new data on the topic. The remaining papers were considered as "reactions" of the scientific community because they went a step further in their data and ideas. Interesting statements taken from the "reactions" could be summarized with the following keywords: Chain and multi-actor approach, intersectoral and multidisciplinary, resilience, human and animal health, and global vision. In addition, fields meriting increased research efforts were summarized as the improvement of predictive modeling; extension to different crops and geographic areas; and the impact of CC on fungi and mycotoxin co-occurrence, both in crops and their value chains, up to consumers.

Occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in Donkey Milk Collected in Northern Italy

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a well-known mycotoxin that can be found in the milk of animals that have ingested feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). In Italy, the development of donkey farms is mainly due to growing request of donkey milk, which is considered an incomparable substitute for human mother's milk for its chemical composition and organoleptic characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of AFM1 in donkey milk produced in a farm in Northern Italy, also in view of the few data available about the presence of this mycotoxin in this type of milk. Therefore, 63 milk samples were collected and analyzed using a fast and sensitive HPLC and fluorescence detection (FLD) method previously optimized and validated. None of the milk samples collected were found to be contaminated at a level above the limit of quantification (LOQ) (0.0125 ng/mL), while only one sample showed traces of the mycotoxin at a concentration between the limit of detection (LOD) and LOQ (0.0044 ng/mL), well below the legal limit established for infant milk and follow-on milk (0.025 ng/mL). These results are in line with those of the few similar surveys carried out on donkey milk and seem to indicate a low risk of AFM1 contamination for this food.

Risk assessment of aflatoxins in food

EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of aflatoxins in food. The risk assessment was confined to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), AFB2, AFG1, AFG2 and AFM1. More than 200,000 analytical results on the occurrence of aflatoxins were used in the evaluation. Grains and grain-based products made the largest contribution to the mean chronic dietary exposure to AFB1 in all age classes, while 'liquid milk' and 'fermented milk products' were the main contributors to the AFM1 mean exposure. Aflatoxins are genotoxic and AFB1 can cause hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in humans. The CONTAM Panel selected a benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) for a benchmark response of 10% of 0.4 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day for the incidence of HCC in male rats following AFB1 exposure to be used in a margin of exposure (MOE) approach. The calculation of a BMDL from the human data was not appropriate; instead, the cancer potencies estimated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in 2016 were used. For AFM1, a potency factor of 0.1 relative to AFB1 was used. For AFG1, AFB2 and AFG2, the in vivo data are not sufficient to derive potency factors and equal potency to AFB1 was assumed as in previous assessments. MOE values for AFB1 exposure ranged from 5,000 to 29 and for AFM1 from 100,000 to 508. The calculated MOEs are below 10,000 for AFB1 and also for AFM1 where some surveys, particularly for the younger age groups, have an MOE below 10,000. This raises a health concern. The estimated cancer risks in humans following exposure to AFB1 and AFM1 are in-line with the conclusion drawn from the MOEs. The conclusions also apply to the combined exposure to all five aflatoxins.

Aflatoxin M1 Determination in Infant Formulae Distributed in Monterrey, Mexico

The occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in infant formulae commercialized in the metropolitan area of Monterrey (Nuevo León, Mexico) was determined by using immunoaffinity column clean-up followed by HPLC determination with fluorimetric detection. For this, 55 infant formula powders were classified in two groups, starter (49 samples) and follow-on (6 samples) formulae. Eleven of the evaluated samples (20%) presented values above the permissible limit set by the European Union for infant formulae (25 ng/L), ranging from 40 to 450 ng/L. The estimated daily intake (EDI) for AFM1 was determined employing the average body weight (bw) of the groups of age in the ranges of 0-6 and 6-12 months, and 1-2 years. The results evidenced high intake values, ranging from 1.56 to 14 ng/kg bw/day, depending on the group. Finally, with the EDI value, the carcinogenic risk index was determined, presenting a high risk for all the evaluated groups. Based on these results, it is a necessary extra effort by the regulatory agencies to reduce the AFM1 presence in infant formulae consumed in Mexico.

Aflatoxins in Food and Feed: An Overview on Prevalence, Detection and Control Strategies

Aflatoxins produced by the Aspergillus species are highly toxic, carcinogenic, and cause severe contamination to food sources, leading to serious health consequences. Contaminations by aflatoxins have been reported in food and feed, such as groundnuts, millet, sesame seeds, maize, wheat, rice, fig, spices and cocoa due to fungal infection during pre- and post-harvest conditions. Besides these food products, commercial products like peanut butter, cooking oil and cosmetics have also been reported to be contaminated by aflatoxins. Even a low concentration of aflatoxins is hazardous for human and livestock. The identification and quantification of aflatoxins in food and feed is a major challenge to guarantee food safety. Therefore, developing feasible, sensitive and robust analytical methods is paramount for the identification and quantification of aflatoxins present in low concentrations in food and feed. There are various chromatographic and sensor-based methods used for the detection of aflatoxins. The current review provides insight into the sources of contamination, occurrence, detection techniques, and masked mycotoxin, in addition to management strategies of aflatoxins to ensure food safety and security.

Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization of Aflatoxin M1 Intake through Consumption of Milk and Yoghurt by Student Population in Serbia and Greece

The objective of this research was to perform an exposure assessment of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) intake through the consumption of milk and yoghurt by the student population in Serbia and Greece. A food consumption survey of milk and yoghurt was performed during the first half of 2018 in the two countries with at least 500 interviewees (aged between 18 and 27 years) per country, covering their dietary habits and body weight based on one-day and seven-day recall methods. Values for the concentration of AFM1 were extracted from published research. Finally, a Monte Carlo analysis of 100,000 iterations was performed to estimate the intake of AFM1 from the consumption of the two dairy products. Results revealed that the estimated average exposure of students to AFM1 was in the range of 1.238⁻2.674 ng kg^-1 bw day^-1 for Serbia, and 0.350⁻0.499 ng kg^-1 bw day^-1 for Greece, depending on the dietary recall method employed. High estimations for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases/year/10⁵ individuals, depending on the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive individuals (HBsAg+), were 0.0036⁻0.0047 and 0.0007⁻0.0009 for Serbia and Greece, respectively. Presented Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Hazard Index (HI) values indicate increased risk from exposure to AFM1, particularly in Serbia.

Overview on the Mycotoxins Incidence in Serbia in the Period 2004⁻2016

With an average annual production of 6.9 M tonnes and 2.5 M tonnes of maize and wheat respectively, Serbia is one of the main grain producers and exporters in Europe. Cereals are also the major staple food in Serbian diet. In view of the high cereal consumption, for human and animal nutrition, the presence of mycotoxins entails a high public health risk of chronic exposure to mycotoxins. This study provides an overview of the incidence of predominant mycotoxins, mainly in cereal and dairy products, in Serbia, in the 2004⁻2016, using data reported in the scientific literature. The study demonstrated that the total prevalence of aflatoxins was 62.9% (n = 12,517) with 26.2% of the samples exceeding the EU limits during this period. Results obtained for T-2/HT-2 (n = 523), deoxynivalenol (n = 2907), fumonisins (n = 998), zearalenone (n = 689) and ochratoxin A (n = 740) indicated the prevalence of 45.5%, 42.9%, 63.3%, 39.3% and 28.1%, respectively. For these mycotoxins, the EU limits were less frequently exceeded. Comprehensive collection and analysis of all accessible information reviewed in this paper showed moderate incidence and prevalence of mycotoxins in Serbia, with an exception of the 2012 drought year and the 2014 flood year.

Determination of Aflatoxin M1 and Heavy Metals in Infant Formula Milk Brands Available in Pakistani Markets

Aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁) after its bioconversion from aflatoxin B₁ in animal liver becomes the part of milk while heavy metals get entry into milk and milk products during handling in the supply chain. Aflatoxin M₁ and heavy metals being toxic compounds are needed to be monitored continuously to avoid any ailments among consumers of foods contaminated with such toxicants. Thirteen commercially available infant formula milk (IFM) brands available in Pakistani markets were analyzed for the quantitative determination of AFM₁ and heavy metals through ELISA and atomic absorption spectrophotometer, respectively. AFM₁ was found positive in 53.84% samples while 30.76% samples were found exceeding the maximum EU limit i.e. 0.025 μg/kg for AFM₁ in IFM. Heavy metals lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were found below the detection limits in any of the sample, whereas the concentrations of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) ranged between 45.40-97.10, 29.72-113.50 and <0.001-50.90 μg/kg, respectively. The concentration of Fe in all the tested brands was found in normal ranges while the concentrations of Zn and Ni were found exceeding the standard norms. Elevated levels of AFM₁, Zn and Ni in some of the tested IFM brands indicated that a diet completely based on these IFM brands might pose sever health implications in the most vulnerable community i.e., infants.

Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in conventional and organic milk offered for sale in Italy

In the present study, 58 samples of milk were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁). The samples were purchased during the period April-May 2013 in a random manner from local stores (supermarkets, small retail shops, small groceries, and specialized suppliers) located in the surrounding of Bologna (Italy). The commercial samples of milk were either organic (n = 22) or conventional (n = 36); fresh milk samples and UHT milk samples, whole milk samples, and partially skim milk samples were present in both the two considered categories. For the quantification of AFM₁ in milk, the extraction-purification technique based on the use of immunoaffinity columns was adopted and analyses were performed using HPLC-FD. AFM₁ was detected in 35 samples, 11 from organic production and 24 from conventional production. No statistically (P > 0.05) significant differences were observed in the concentration of AFM₁ in the two categories of product. The levels of contamination found in the positive samples ranged between 0.009 and 0.026 ng mL^-1. No sample exceeded the limit defined at community level for AFM₁ in milk (0.05 μg kg^-1). This demonstrates the effectiveness of the checks before the placing on the market of these food products. Thus, the "aflatoxins" problem that characterized the summer of 2012 does not seem to have had effect on the contamination level of the considered milk samples.

Mycotoxins in milk for human nutrition: cow, sheep and human breast milk

Mycotoxins are produced pre harvest by some molds and secreted into various food items of plant origin, such cereals, vegetables, spices, coffee and nuts. If the food items are not stored under adequate conditions, a post harvest contamination may also occur. Animals and humans take them up by food items and some of them are stored and accumulated in different tissues and organs, so that food of animal origin may be contaminated, too. Especially aflatoxin and ochratoxin are secreted into milk by consumers of contaminated food. Since milk represents the major food source of newborns and infants, they are notably exposed to these mycotoxins. This health risk for these individuals may be of particular importance, because their ability to metabolize these fungal toxic agents is not yet fully developed at this stage.