Dietary exposure of general Chinese population to fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1, 2-diol (3-MCPD) from edible oils and oil-containing foods

Monitoring, exposure and risk assessment of formaldehyde in alcoholic beverages in Korea

Formaldehyde occurs naturally in food and alcoholic beverages. Formaldehyde and alcoholic beverages can cause various health problems, including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, respiratory problems, and skin rashes. Alcoholic beverage samples (N = 236) were collected and analyzed for formaldehyde by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The highest average concentrations were detected in fruit wines (1.71 µg/g), followed by wines (1.15 µg/g), cheongju (0.95 µg/g), soju (0.85 µg/g), takju (0.64 µg/g) and beers (0.61 µg/g). We assessed the exposure and risk assessment to formaldehyde from alcoholic beverages based on the monitoring data for the general population and consumers in Korea using various schemes for point estimation. The daily intakes of formaldehyde for the general population and consumers were estimated to be 83 µg and 1202 µg, respectively. The mean hazard indexes (HI) for the general population and consumers in Korea were 0.009 and 0.132, respectively. On the other hand, the mean hazard indexes (HI) for the general population and consumers in Korea were 0.009 and 0.132, respectively. The exposure to formaldehyde in these alcoholic beverages for the Korean population was shown to be of low concern, but it is necessary to monitor the level of formaldehyde in alcoholic beverages and continuously conduct exposure assessment for consumers.

Preliminary assessments of population exposure to glycidyl esters and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters from miscellaneous oil-containing packaged foods in Taiwan

Glycidyl esters (GEs) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDEs) are carcinogenic contaminants found in refined oils. This study aimed to determine levels of GEs and 3-MCPDEs in packaged foodstuffs, and estimate daily exposure levels using food consumption data. The analysis involved Soxtec extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the recovery of spiked GEs and 3-MCPDEs was within the range of 80%∼110%. Results showed that GEs and 3-MCPDEs were almost ubiquitous in food products (95%), with the highest concentrations found in processed fats, followed by cookies and spreads. Food products containing palm-derived oils had significantly higher levels of contaminants (p < 0.05), with up to 58.1% of palm oil-containing foodstuffs exceeding the upper limits of either GEs or 3-MCPDEs set by the European Union. Cookies and instant noodles were identified as the main sources of exposure to GEs and 3-MCPDEs, with potential daily intake levels exceeding the tolerable daily intakes in children aged 0 ∼ 12 years.

Occurrence and Dietary Exposure of 3-MCPD Esters and Glycidyl Esters in Domestically and Commercially Prepared Food in Singapore

This study investigated the prevalence and occurrence of 3-monochloropropanediol esters (3-MCPDEs) and glycidyl esters (GEs) in domestically and commercially prepared food in Singapore and assessed the total dietary exposure for the Singaporean population. Minimal impact on the formation of 3-MCPDEs and GEs was observed from the domestic cooking methods commonly practiced in Singapore such as deep frying and stir frying. The estimated total dietary exposure to 3-MCPDEs for the Singaporean population (aged 15 to 92) was 0.982 µg/kg bw/day for general consumers and 2.212 µg/kg bw/day for high consumers (95th percentile), which accounted for 49.1% and 110.6% of the tolerable dietary intake (TDI) at 2 µg/kg bw/day by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The calculated margins of exposure (MOE) for GEs based on the dietary exposure for general consumers at 0.882 µg/kg bw/day and 2.209 µg/kg bw/day for high consumers were below 10,000, indicating a potential health concern. Our study showed that the occurrence of 3-MCPDEs and GEs varied among vegetable oils, and domestic cooking methods did not significantly impact the levels of 3-MCPDEs and GEs in prepared food. The critical factor influencing the prevalence and occurrence of 3-MCPDEs and GEs was the choice of oil used for cooking, which absorbed into the cooked food. It is essential to encourage the food industry to continue its innovation on mitigation measures to control and reduce 3-MCPDEs and GEs in vegetable oil production. Consumers are advised to make informed choices on food consumption and cooking oil for food preparation to reduce their exposure to 3-MCPDEs and GEs.

Risk assessment of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters through dietary exposure from edible oils for the Zhejiang population in China by Monte Carlo simulation

The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of 3-monochoropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) esters from edible oils for the Zhejiang population in China. Exposure assessment of 3-MCPD esters was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation based on the concentrations of 3-MCPD esters in edible oils combined with survey data on the eating habits of Chinese residents classified by age group and gender. The simulation results indicated that the mean daily intakes (CDI) of 3-MCPD esters for children 7-10 years old were 2.154 µg (kg BW d)^-1 for boys and 2.049 µg (kg BW d)^-1 for girls, which are lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 4 µg (kg BW d)^-1 for 3-MCPD and 3-MCPD esters individually or in combination, set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. The range of mean dietary intakes of 3-MCPD esters in different subpopulation groups ranged 1.242-1.672 µg (kg BW d)^-1, which was lower than the PMTDI. However, the CDI values of 3-MCPD esters in high percentile exposure subgroups (95th, 99th) of males (7-49 years old) and females (7-10 and 50-75 years old) were all above 4µg (kg bw d)^-1. Outside of the senior group (50-75 years old), males had more exposure to 3-MCPD than females. The average hazard indexes (HI) of 3-MCPD esters to male and female children were 1.257 and 1.024, respectively, indicating there was a risk, but no immediate measures are required to address this risk. The average HI of 3-MCPD esters to adolescent, adult, and seniors were all below 1, indicating risk for those age groups were at an acceptable level.

Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends on 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-Diol Esters in Foods

3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE) are common food contaminants mainly formed in the edible oil refining process. Due to their potential hazards, 3-MCPDE has become a widespread food safety concern. In this study, CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to conduct a bibliometric analysis on the 3-MCPDE research papers collected in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1998 to 2022. The results showed that the number of research publications on 3-MCPDE has increased rapidly since 2010. Analysis of the hotspots in 3-MCPDE studies showed that more attention has been paid to the exposure assessment, formation mechanism, detection methods, mitigation methods and toxicity, and toxicology of 3-MCPDE. Finally, the future trends of research on 3-MCPDE were analyzed and proposed. The mitigation methods and toxicology studies of 3-MCPDE are still the research hotspots in the future. In addition, nutritional intervention for 3-MCPDE toxicity will be an emerging trend.

Methods, principles, challenges, and perspectives of determining chloropropanols and their esters

Chloropropanols and their esters are a group of food contaminants that have various toxicities to the human body. Research and control to chloropropanols and their esters is important to food safety. Therefore, the sensitive, accurate, precise, and effective determination of chloropropanols and their esters is highly essential to study their concentration, formation, and mitigation. The indirect method, commonly applied in the determination of chloropropanols and their esters, is based on the cleavage of ester bond, extraction, and derivatization. The conventional indirect method will still be the mostly used method in the near future due to its good sensitivity and feasibility, although its parameters need to be chosen and optimized according to sample stuffs and chloropropanol concentrations. Meanwhile, direct method and other quantitative methods should also be developed for special applications, such as studying the profile of chloropropanol esters and rapid screening protocol. The challenges and future perspectives of these methods are discussed in this review. This review can provide a reference on the selection, designation, and modification of methods for determining chloropropanols and their esters.

Palm Oil Processing and Controversies over Its Health Effect: Overview of Positive and Negative Consequences

Palm oil is the world's most commonly used vegetable oil and extracted both from fruit and seed of palm tree. However, its high saturated fatty acid content raised controversies over consumption of the oil. Few scientific findings suggest it as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and increased consumer's awareness over healthy diet raised claim over it. So that, this article aimed to review literatures on palm oil extraction process and its positive and negative health consequences and besides suggest strategies for healthy diet. Literature search of relevant articles was conducted by using Google scholar, PubMed, Web of science, MEDLINE, World Health Organization library online catalogue, UNICEF library, Open access thesis and dissertations published between 2009 and 2021 explored. Study reports recommend that palmitic acid from vegetable source has less effect on blood total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol level as compared to palmitic acid from animal source. In contrary tocotrienols of palm oil lowers blood bad cholesterol level by 7-38%. Moreover, palm oil triacylglycerol arrangement does not have a cardiovascular risk and evidences from available in vitro and in vivo studies are not sufficient enough to conclude palm oil as a causative agent for cardiovascular disease. For healthy diet consumers should avoid trans fatty acids, solid and semi solid oils. Finally, further studies recommended on mitigation strategies to minimize process induced toxicants of palm oil to acceptable level.

Biscuit Contaminants, Their Sources and Mitigation Strategies: A Review

The scientific literature is rich in investigations on the presence of various contaminants in biscuits, and of articles aimed at proposing innovative solutions for their control and prevention. However, the relevant information remains fragmented. Therefore, the objective of this work was to review the current state of the scientific literature on the possible contaminants of biscuits, considering physical, chemical, and biological hazards, and making a critical analysis of the solutions to reduce such contaminations. The raw materials are primary contributors of a wide series of contaminants. The successive processing steps and machinery must be monitored as well, because if they cannot improve the initial safety condition, they could worsen it. The most effective mitigation strategies involve product reformulation, and the use of alternative baking technologies to minimize the thermal load. Low oxygen permeable packaging materials (avoiding direct contact with recycled ones), and reformulation are effective for limiting the increase of contaminations during biscuit storage. Continuous monitoring of raw materials, intermediates, finished products, and processing conditions are therefore essential not only to meet current regulatory restrictions but also to achieve the aim of banning dietary contaminants and coping with related diseases.

Monochloropropanediol in edible vegetable oils from Hangzhou market in China: occurrence and exposure risk assessment

In this study, 241 vegetable-oil food samples were collected from the Hangzhou market in China and analysed for fatty acid esters of 3- and 2-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD and 2-MCPD) using non-derivative gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Food consumption data were taken from a food consumption survey of urban and rural residents in Hangzhou city performed in 2010-2011. Levels of 3-MCPD esters in edible oil ranged from not detected to 7.98 mg/kg, and the highest mean levels were found in tea seed oil, with concentrations of 2.94 mg/kg. Esters of 2-MCPD levels ranged from not detected to 4.03 mg/kg, and the highest mean levels were also found in tea seed oil, containing 1.49 mg/kg. The range of mean dietary intake of 3-MCPD esters in different groups of edible oil was from 0.096 to 1.54 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day, which is lower than the tolerable daily intake (TDI) established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2 μg/kg bw/day). For people aged above 6 years old, the dietary intake of 3-MCPD from edible oil was 0.42 μg/kg bw per day (mean) and 1.22 μg/kg bw per day (P97.5). The range of mean dietary intake of 2-MCPD esters in different groups of edible oil was from 0.025 to 0.79 μg/kg bw/day, and 2-MCPD esters intake was 0.20 μg/kg bw per day (mean) and 0.60 μg/kg bw per day (P97.5). In addition, the dietary intake exposure to 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD esters for urban residents was lower than that for rural residents. The findings indicate that the potential health risks caused by dietary 3-MCPD esters from edible oils were of low concern for most of the Hangzhou residents. However, the exposure risk for consumers with excessive consumption of certain kind of edible oil calls for attention.