Aflatoxin Occurrence, Food Regulations, Dietary Exposure, and Risk Assessment: A Mini Review from the Malaysian Perspective

@#Aflatoxins are ubiquitous and occur in food. Exposure to aflatoxins seriously impact the health of human and animal. It is concerning especially when aflatoxins are odourless, colourless, and tasteless that hardly be detected through naked eyes. Ingestion of aflatoxin-contaminated food contributes the major route of exposure. The present review is an update on the aflatoxin occurrence in food, aflatoxin regulations in food, and recent risk assessment of aflatoxin exposure in Malaysia. Peanuts and chili were more prone to aflatoxin contamination in Malaysia. The extreme weather experienced in Malaysia and global climatic change may worsen the aflatoxin contamination in food. The regulatory standards for aflatoxins imposed by Malaysia are less stringent than developed countries. The dietary exposure of aflatoxins among Malaysian was relatively high as compared with other Asia countries, ranging from 0.002 to 34.00 ng/kg body weight/day. Nonetheless, Malaysian population had low risk of aflatoxin-related liver cancer, with an estimated liver cancer risk of <1 cancer case/100,000 population/year.

Risk assessment of dietary lead exposure in Shanghai residents over 15 years old / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk of dietary lead exposure in residents aged 15 years and above in Shanghai. MethodsBased on the dietary consumption survey of residents aged 15 years and above in spring 2012 and the monitoring data of food lead contamination in Shanghai from 2020 to 2021， the dietary exposure level was assessed using the point assessment method and compared with the provisional weekly tolerable intake （PTWI） to assess the exposure risk. ResultsThe overall detection rate of lead in 9 commonly consumed food categories by residents in Shanghai was 56.82%， with a total excess rate of 0.23%. The average weekly dietary lead exposure （by body weight） of residents was 2.979 4 μg·kg⁻¹. The top three dietary lead contributing factors were vegetables （30.69%）， cereals （28.88%）， and aquatic products （11.12%）. The average weekly dietary lead exposure （by body weight） of residents in urban， suburban， and rural areas were 3.282 5， 2.979 5 and 2.478 0 μg·kg⁻¹， respectively. The food with the highest contribution rate of dietary lead exposure in these regions was vegetables， with contribution rates of 33.65%， 29.69%， and 25.22%， respectively. The average weekly dietary lead exposure （by body weight） of male and female residents was 3.077 7 and 2.881 5 μg·kg⁻¹， respectively， with vegetables being the main source of dietary lead， contributing 30.03% and 31.39%， respectively. The average weekly dietary lead exposure （by body weight） of residents aged 15‒， 45‒， and ≥60 years old was 3.084 2，3.009 9 and 2.874 4 μg·kg⁻¹， respectively. The food with the highest contribution rate of dietary lead exposure in these groups was vegetables， contributing 27.12%， 32.10%， and 32.26%， respectively. ConclusionThe dietary lead exposure of Shanghai residents aged 15 years and above is at an acceptable level， and the vegetables， cereals， and aquatic products with high contribution rates need to be supervised more closely.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning contamination status and dietary exposure assessment in coastal cities of China / 预防医学

@#Paralytic shellfish poisoning contamination is a threat to human health. Based on review of research articles pertaining to paralytic shellfish poisoning contamination in shellfishes and assessment of dietary exposure to paralytic shellfish poisoning in coastal cities of China from 2007 to 2022, the article describes the status of paralytic shellfish poisoning contamination, influencing factors and dietary exposure assessment in different sea areas of China (Bohai Sea, Huanghai Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea), and the relatively high-level contamination of paralytic shellfish poisoning in shellfishes is found to strongly correlate with red tides caused by season and water temperature in the Bohai Sea and South China Sea areas. Acute exposure assessment based on point estimate model is commonly used for assessment of dietary exposure to paralytic shellfish poisoning, and the risk of human dietary exposure to paralytic shellfish poisoning is within the acceptable range in most areas. Intensified monitoring of paralytic shellfish poisoning contamination in shellfishes and full consideration of parameters like processing factor during dietary exposure assessment are required in the future to allow more precise results.

Dietary exposure risk of bisphenol S in vegetables and fruits inHenan Province / 预防医学

Objective@#To monitor the content of bisphenol S ( BPS ) in vegetables and fruits in Henan Province and evaluate the dietary exposure risk of the population, so as to provide the basis for formulating relevant food safety standards.@*Methods@#From 2018 to 2019, 276 samples of vegetables and fruits produced and sold in Henan Province were collected. BPS was determined by isotope dilution ultra performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry ( UPLC-MS/MS ) , and the dietary exposure was calculated according to the dietary structure and average body weight of local residents. The risk index of BPS was calculated according to the daily tolerable intake ( TDI ) of bisphenol A ( BPA ). @*Results@#The BPS contents in vegetables and fruits were 0.006-12.600 µg/kg and 0.006-9.380 µg/kg, the medians were 0.053 µg/kg and 0.023 µg/kg, the detection rates were 78.43% and 62.60%, respectively.The detection rate and content of BPS in vegetables were higher than those in fruits ( P<0.05 ). The maximum exposure of BPS from vegetables and fruits was 5.37×10-2 µg/ ( kgbw·d ), and the exposure risk index was 1.07 × 10-3, which was acceptable. @*Conclusions@#BPS was detected from vegetables and fruits in Henan Province. The detection rate and content of BPS in vegetables were higher than those in fruits. The health risk of BPS exposed by vegetables and fruits is small.

Risk assessment of dietary lead exposure among adults in Xiacheng District of Hangzhou City / 上海预防医学

Objective:To understand the risk of dietary lead exposure among adults in Xiacheng District of Hangzhou City. Methods:During 2013-2018， commercial foods were randomly collected in Xiacheng District of Hangzhou City for lead content testing. In combination with lead test result and dietary consumption data， the margin of exposure （MOE） method was used to assess the exposure risk of dietary lead. Results:A total of 827 samples from 14 kinds of commercial foods were collected， and the median of lead content was between 0.002 5 mg/kg and 0.100 0 mg/kg. The detection rate was 53.20%， and the over-standard rate was 1.09%. The median of daily dietary lead exposure among adults was 0.174 2 μg/kg BW， and the MOE value was 7.46. Vegetables and fruits were the dominant contributor to dietary intake of lead， accounting for 39.18% and 12.18%， respectively. Conclusion:The exposure of dietary lead among adults in Xiacheng District of Hangzhou City is at an acceptable level. The contribution of vegetables and fruits to dietary lead is higher than other foods， and needs more attention.

Dietary exposure assessment of phthalic acid esters in Guangzhou residents / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To understand phthalic acid esters pollution of daily consumed food in Guangzhou City，and evaluate the hazard of phthalic acid esters exposure in residents dietary. Methods Detected the content of phthalic acid esters in 10 types of food by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy（GC-MS）methods .It combined with a survey on dietary nutrients intake of Guangzhou residents was conducted．Hazard index on the dietary exposure assessment of chemicals in food was applied. Results It showed that the highest levels of DBP，DEHP and DIBP，from the mixed diet samples in Guangzhou were 1.256，1.418，0.576 mg/kg respectively；and the exposure level of DBP，DEHP and DIBP were 2.431、5.981、2.408μg/kg.d ;HQ was respectively 0.243、0.125、0.025. HI was 0.393. Conclusion The dietary contamination of phthalic acid esters for Guangzhou was kept at a low level.But the pollution of 3 kinds of mixed samples such as meats，eggs，aquatic and products may be a certain risk of health that should attract more attention.

Maternal consumption of ultra-processed foods and newborn exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) / O consumo materno de alimentos ultraprocessados e exposição intrauterina a compostos perfluoroalquil (PFAS) / Consumo materno de comidas ultraprocesadas y exposición de recién nacidos a sustancias perfluoroalquílicas (PFAS)

Abstract: Evolving evidence shows that ultra-processed food consumption may increase exposure to chemicals used in food packaging and production, such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, phthalates, and bisphenols. Studies suggested that these contaminants may be transferred from mother to child through placenta, increasing concerns for both maternal and child health. This study aimed to investigate the association of maternal consumption of ultra-processed foods with newborn exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the PIPA Project (The Rio Birth Cohort Study on Environmental Exposure and Childhood Development). The pilot cohort study conducted with 131 pregnant women-child pairs in a public maternity school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was assessed. Maternal dietary intake in the third trimester of pregnancy was evaluated using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Food items were classified as non-ultra-processed food and ultra-processed food using the NOVA system and regular consumption of ultra-processed foods was estimated. Newborns of pregnant women who weekly consumed three or more subgroups of ultra-processed food presented the highest level of PFAS (2.47ng/mL; 95%CI: 1.22; 3.72), compared to non-consumption of ultra-processed food investigated (0 ultra-processed food = 1.86ng/mL; 95%CI: 1.38; 2.50). Additionally, cluster analysis grouped ultra-processed food, fish, and PFAS levels. In conclusion, we found increased levels of PFAS in newborns whose mothers were higher consumers of ultra-processed foods.

Resumo: Evidências crescentes demonstram que o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados pode aumentar a exposição a substâncias químicas utilizadas na produção e embalagem desses alimentos, como os compostos per- e polifluoroalquil, ftalatos e bisfenóis. Os estudos sugerem que esses contaminantes podem ser transferidos da mãe para o feto pela via transplacentária, o que aumenta as preocupações em relação à saúde tanto materna quanto infantil. O estudo buscou investigar a associação entre o consumo materno de alimentos ultraprocessados e a exposição intrauterina aos compostos perfluoroalquil (PFAS) no Projeto PIPA Rio - Projeto Infância e Poluentes Ambientais. Foi avaliada a coorte-piloto com 131 pares gestante-feto em uma maternidade-escola pública no Rio de Janeiro. A ingestão materna no terceiro trimestre da gestação foi avaliada com um questionário qualitativo de frequência alimentar. Os itens alimentares foram classificados entre não ultraprocessados e ultraprocessados, usando o sistema NOVA, e foi estimado o consumo regular de ultraprocessados. Os PFAS foram medidos no sangue do cordão umbilical. Os recém-nascidos de mães que haviam consumido três ou mais subgrupos de ultraprocessados por semana apresentaram os níveis séricos mais elevados de PFAS (2,47ng/mL; IC95%: 1,22; 3,72), comparado com nenhum consumo dos subgrupos de alimentos ultraprocessados (0 alimento ultraprocessado = 1,86ng/mL; IC95%: 1,38; 2,50). Além disso, a análise de clusters agrupou ultraprocessados, peixe e níveis de PFAS. Em conclusão, o estudo mostrou níveis elevados de PFAS em neonatos de gestantes com maior consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados.

Resumen: Evidencias recientes han mostrado que el consumo de comida ultraprocesada puede incrementar la exposición a sustancias químicas usadas en el empaquetado de comida y producción, tales como las sustancias per- y poli- fluoroalquílicas, ftalatos, y bisfenoles. Los estudios han sugerido que estos contaminantes pueden transmitirse de la madre al niño, a través de la placenta, incrementando los problemas de salud de la madre y el niño. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar la asociación del consumo materno de comidas ultraprocesadas con la exposición de los recién nacidos a las sustancias perfluoroalquílicas (PFAS) en el Proyecto PIPA (Estudio de Cohorte de Nacimiento en Río sobre la Exposición Ambiental y Desarrollo en la Infancia). El estudio de la cohorte piloto evaluó a parejas constituidas por 131 mujeres embarazadas y sus hijo/as en una escuela de maternidad pública en Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Se evaluó la ingesta alimentaria materna en el tercer trimestre de embarazo, usando un cuestionario de calidad de frecuencia de la comida. Los ítems alimentarios fueron clasificados como no-comida ultraprocesada y comida ultraprocesada usando el sistema NOVA y se estimó el consumo regular de comidas ultraprocesadas. Las PFAS se determinaron en la sangre del cordón umbilical. Los recién nacidos de mujeres embarazadas que consumieron tres o más subgrupos de comidas ultraprocesada semanalmente presentaron el nivel más alto de PFAS (2,47ng/mL; IC95%: 1,22; 3,72), comparado con ninguno consumo de comida ultraprocesada (0 comida ultraprocesada = 1,86ng/mL; IC95%: 1,38; 2,50). Asimismo, el análisis de conglomerados agrupó comida ultraprocesada, pescado y niveles de PFAS. En conclusión, se encontraron niveles elevados de PFAS en recién nacidos, cuyas madres eran grandes consumidoras de comidas ultraprocesadas.

Levels of BPA in makdous, a traditional Syrian food, using solid-phase extraction followed by HPLC

Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disrupter, can migrate from packaging material into food stuff. This research was designed to measure BPA levels in makdous, a traditional Syrian food. Forty three samples of makdous stored in different plastic containers (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and unspecified plastic containers) were analyzed every 3 months for one year beginning July 2017. Quantification of BPA was carried out by an RP-HPLC system equipped with fluorescence detector after solid phase extraction. Migration was found in PE and PP plastic containers with slight differences. Statistically significant differences in BPA levels were observed between samples assayed after two weeks of preparation and samples assayed after 12 months (mean 16.32 vs. 38.26 µg/kg, p value=0.003). According to these amounts, BPA levels were all under the specific migration limit of 0.05 mg/kg as newly referred in Regulation (EU) No 2018/213. These levels of exposure would only contribute to 2.15% and 2.75% of the EFSA t-TDI in both men and women respectively based on mean dietary exposure estimates derived from a 24-h dietary information study from 875 participants. Hence there are no concerns about potential health risks from makdous consumption

Risk assessment of cadmium contamination and dietary exposure in market aquatic products in one district of Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective To investigate the status of cadmium contamination in commercially sold aquatic products and to analyze the risk of dietary intake of cadmium among residents in one district of Shanghai. Methods Multistage sampling was used to collect 397 animal aquatic products from agricultural markets and supermarkets in 11 communities (townships), the District from 2018 to 2019.Cadmium content was tested according to national standard.The status of cadmium contamination was assessed by single factor pollution index(Pi)method.Risk of dietary intake of cadmium among residents was assessed by point evaluation method in combination with food consumption and dietary survey in 2013 and calculation of safe limits for cadmium in various aquatic diets(MOS). Results The detection rate of cadmium was 75.06% in the 397 animal aquatic products and the content of cadmium in 10 samples which crabs were totally exceeded the standard, accounting for 2.52%.The average contents of cadmium in crabs, bivalves which were higher than in shrimps(11.0 μg/kg), gastropods(7.6 μg/kg) and marine fish(3.8 μg/kg) were respectively 140.0 μg/kg and 90.0 μg/kg(χ2=186.41, P < 0.005), but no cadmium was detected in freshwater fish.The single factor pollution index(Pi) of crabs was 0.280 which meant light pollution and the Pi of other kinds of aquatic products was respectively under 0.100 that meant no cadmium contamination.The consumption of animal aquatic products was the highest in freshwater fish followed by shrimps, marine fish and crabs.The MOS of every kind of aquatic products is higher than 1 which meant cadmium intake from commercially sold animal products was an acceptable health risk for the population. Conclusion The risk level of cadmium intake by residents in the district through commercially sold animal aquatic products is relatively low, but the cadmium pollution status of commercially sold crustacean crabs should be vigilant, and the intake of crabs is advised to be reduced as far as possible.Relevant departments should also pay attention and strengthen monitoring and management in this regard.

Risk Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Acrylamide in the Norwegian Population

Request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) requested the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) to assess whether Norwegians in general or subgroups in the population could be expected to have different dietary exposure to acrylamide than reported for other European population groups, and if found to be different to calculate their exposure. Furthermore, VKM was asked to identify food categories with a high potential to increase acrylamide exposure; both for the whole population and for specific groups. Finally, VKM was asked to characterise the risk of acrylamide exposure to the Norwegian population compared to the rest of the European population. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority intends to use this risk assessment as a basis for the Norwegian contribution to the ongoing legislative work in the EU and to consider the necessity to adjust the existing national dietary advices or to issue new ones. How VKM has addressed the request VKM appointed a working group consisting of members of the Panel on Contaminants to answer the request. The Panel on Contaminants has reviewed and revised the draft prepared by the working group and finally approved the risk assessment on dietary acrylamide exposure in the Norwegian population. What acrylamide is and its toxicity to humans Acrylamide is a water-soluble organic chemical formed in carbohydrate-rich foods from naturally present carbohydrates and amino acids during cooking or other heat processing at temperatures above 120°C. Acrylamide is a widely used industrial chemical and is also formed in tobacco smoke. Acrylamide is known to be neurotoxic in humans and is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Concerns about exposure to acrylamide in the general population arose in 2002 when it was discovered in heat-treated foods. Dietary acrylamide exposure in Europe and Norway Dietary acrylamide exposure has been assessed by combining food consumption data and acrylamide concentration data and by biological markers of exposure both in Norway and different European countries. In the EFSA 2015 Scientific Opinion on acrylamide in food, chronic dietary exposure was calculated for 61,338 individuals from 28 surveys and 17 different European countries covering the following age groups: infants (<1 year old), toddlers (≥1 year to <3 years old), other children (≥3 years to <10 years old), adolescents (≥10 years to <18 years old), adults (≥18 years to <65 years old), elderly (≥65 years to <75 years old) and very elderly (≥75 years old). The estimation of human exposure to acrylamide revealed that infants, toddlers and other children were the most exposed groups, but EFSA concluded that dietary acrylamide represents a health concern for all age groups. In previous Norwegian studies reporting dietary acrylamide exposure, the mean and median exposure in adolescents and adults were in the range of 0.3-0.5 μg/kg bw per day. These estimates are in the same range as the mean daily exposures estimated by EFSA for adolescents (0.4-0.9 μg/kg bw) and adults (0.4-0.5 μg/kg bw). Taking into consideration the results from previous exposure estimates and knowledge about food consumption patterns in recent consumption surveys in Norway, VKM concludes that Norwegian adults, adolescents and children older than three years of age are not likely to have a different exposure to acrylamide than corresponding age groups in other European countries. VKM therefore decided not to perform a new exposure assessment in these age groups. No previous studies in Norway have assessed acrylamide exposure in infants and children less than three years of age. Information from national and European dietary surveys shows that Norwegian 1-year-olds, but not 2-year-olds, have higher consumption of infant porridge than other European toddlers. VKM therefore decided to conduct a full exposure estimate in 1-year-old toddlers. The comparison of data on acrylamide occurrence in food reported by EFSA (2015) and in foods sampled in Norway showed that acrylamide concentrations in the main food categories do not differ essentially, with the exception of three categories. The category “Potato crisps and snacks” has higher acrylamide concentrations in Norwegian samples than in those reported by EFSA, while the categories “Baby foods, other than cereal-based” and “Processed cereal-based baby food” (i.e. infant porridge) have lower concentrations in Norwegian samples than in those reported by EFSA. VKM considered that Norwegian analytical values were sufficient for exposure calculations if the concentrations were analysed in 16 samples or more. Infant porridge had 52 analysed samples and VKM considered that the brands sampled are representative for infant porridge on the Norwegian market. VKM calculated acrylamide exposure based on food consumption in Norwegian 1-year-olds by two approaches: one using EFSA concentration data only; and the other using Norwegian concentration data for food categories including 16 samples or more, and EFSA data for the remaining categories. Both approaches resulted in acrylamide exposures within the exposure range for toddlers reported by EFSA (2015). When using EFSA concentration data only the calculated daily exposure (mean: 1.6 μg/kg bw and P95: 3.2 μg/kg bw) is in the upper range calculated by EFSA for toddlers (mean range: 0.9-1.9 μg/kg bw, P95 range: 1.2-3.4 μg/kg bw). When using Norwegian concentration data for food categories including 16 Norwegian samples or more and EFSA data for the remaining categories, the calculated daily exposure (mean: 0.9 μg/kg bw, P95: 1.6 μg/kg bw) is in the lower range of what EFSA has calculated for toddlers. The dietary exposure for acrylamide in Norwegian 1-year-olds is within the same range as reported by EFSA for European toddlers. Although the acrylamide-concentration was lower in infant porridge (i.e. “Processed cereal-based baby food”) sampled in Norway than in those reported by EFSA, Norwegian 1-year-olds have higher consumption of infant porridge than European toddlers. In addition to infant porridge, soft bread is a major source of acrylamide in Norwegian 1-year-olds. Food categories with high potential to increase acrylamide exposure Baby food and soft bread contributed most to acrylamide exposure in the 1-year-olds, while food items contributing the most to acrylamide exposure in adults are fried potato products, coffee, biscuits, crackers and crisp breads, and soft bread. Previous Norwegian studies and EFSA (2015) showed that in all populations groups except toddlers, ‘fried potato products’ is a food group with high potential to increase acrylamide exposure. Acrylamide is also contributed by food items commonly consumed such as coffee and bread, and this is of concern in Norway as well as in the rest of Europe. The EFSA risk assessment included exposure scenarios addressing the potential impact of home-cooking habits, locations of consumption, and preferences for particular food products. These scenarios showed that food preparation, and particularly conditions of potato frying, resulted in large variations and a possible increase of acrylamide exposure by as much as 80%. VKM considers that these scenarios carried out by EFSA are equally relevant for the Norwegian population. The temperature and browning of fried potato products will have a considerable impact on the exposure to acrylamide. VKM calculated three simplified scenarios to illustrate the influence of consumption of particular food items on acrylamide exposure. These scenarios confirmed that potato crisps, French Fries and coffee are food items with high potential to increase acrylamide exposure. Risk characterisation of dietary acrylamide exposure in Norway VKM used the same reference points as EFSA (2015), and calculated Margin of Exposures (MOEs) for assessing health risk. MOE is the ratio between a reference value and the estimated dietary exposure. The MOE approach provides an indication of the level of safety but it does not quantify the risk as such. For non-neoplastic effects, EFSA used a BMDL10 value of 0.43 mg/kg bw/day as the reference point based on animal studies of neurotoxicity, and considered a substance-specific MOE of 125 or above as a sufficient safety margin for no health concern. For neoplastic effects, EFSA used a BMDL10 value of 0.17 mg/kg bw/day as the reference point based on animal studies, and taking into account overall uncertainties in the interpretation, EFSA concluded that a MOE of 10 000 or higher would be of low concern for public health. The EFSA risk assessment concluded that the MOEs for non-neoplastic effects were above 125 for all age groups indicating no health concern, whereas the MOEs for non-neoplastic effects were substantially lower than 10 000, indicating a health concern for all age groups. The dietary acrylamide exposure in Norwegian adolescent and adults reported in previous studies were within the range calculated by EFSA for these age groups. VKM therefore concludes that the resulting MOEs for non-neoplastic and neoplastic effects of acrylamide for adolescent and adults will be similar to those calculated by EFSA. VKM calculated acrylamide exposure based on food consumption in Norwegian 1-year-olds by two approaches: one using EFSA concentration data only; and the other using Norwegian concentration data for food categories including 16 samples or more, and EFSA data for the remaining categories. Both approaches resulted in comparable MOEs. For both non-neoplastic and neoplastic effects, MOEs for 1-year-olds were similar to those reported in EFSA 2015. For non-neoplastic effects of dietary acrylamide exposure, VKM reached the same conclusion as EFSA, which is that the MOEs across all age groups indicate no health concern. For neoplastic effects of dietary acrylamide exposure, VKM reached the same conclusion as EFSA, whi

Dietary Exposure to Inorganic Arsenic in the Norwegian Population

Request from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (NFSA) requested a statement from the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) on the dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Norwegian population. VKM was asked to comment on the following; 1.) Why the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessment from 2009 found that the Norwegian population had higher dietary exposure to total arsenic than other European populations, 2.) Whether the Norwegian population or special groups of the population have food consumption patterns which could lead to a different dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic than what is reported for the European population, and 3.) Whether the consumption rice and rice products, such as rice cakes, and in Hijiki seaweed could pose additional health risks for children and adults. How VKM has addressed the request: VKM has appointed a working group consisting of members of the Panel on Contaminants and from the VKM secretariat to answer the request. The Panel on Contaminants has reviewed and revised the draft prepared by the working group and finally approved the assessment on dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Norwegian population. What arsenic is and its toxicity to humans: Arsenic is a metalloid occurring in many different chemical forms in the environment. In the terrestrial environment, arsenic is mainly found as inorganic arsenic, i.e. arsenite and arsenate. In the aquatic environment, more than a 100 arsenic species have been identified. The organic form arsenobetaine is the major form in fish and other seafood. Humans are mainly exposed to arsenic through food and drinking water. Food is the major source for most people, but for people living in regions with naturally elevated concentrations of arsenic in groundwater, drinking water is the major source. The toxicity of arsenic species depends on the chemical form, with inorganic arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) being more toxic than organic arsenic compounds. Inorganic arsenic is carcinogenic, but not genotoxic, and is classified as a human carcinogen. Dietary total arsenic exposure in Europe and Norway: The dietary exposure to total arsenic for the Norwegian population was estimated by EFSA (2009). The Norwegian exposure levels were the highest among the European populations. A high exposure to total arsenic for Norwegian adults was also estimated in the Norwegian Fish and Game study (Birgisdottir et al., 2013). Fish and seafood is the main contributor to the dietary exposure to total arsenic, and a high consumption of fish and seafood leads to a high dietary exposure to total arsenic. Dietary inorganic arsenic exposure in Europe and Norway: There was little variation in the estimated dietary exposures to inorganic arsenic for the European populations (EFSA, 2014). The dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic has earlier been estimated for the Norwegian adult population based on a study including participants with high consumption of fish and other seafood and game meat, and participants representing the general population (Birgisdottir et al., 2013). The estimates for inorganic arsenic exposure were within the ranges reported by EFSA (2014), suggesting that Norwegian adults do not have specific eating patterns leading to a different dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic than other European adult populations. In the European populations, the main contributors to dietary exposure of inorganic arsenic were the food groups “grain-based processed products (non rice-based)”, “rice”, “milk and dairy products” and “drinking water” (EFSA, 2014). There is no information regarding specific dietary patterns of Norwegian sub-populations possibly leading to a higher exposure to inorganic arsenic. Fish and other seafood generally contain high levels of total arsenic, but the level of inorganic arsenic is very low. Exposure to inorganic arsenic through consumption of rice and rice products, and Hijiki seaweed The dietary exposures to inorganic arsenic in the European populations are within the range of the BMDL01 values and therefore possible health risks cannot be excluded (EFSA, 2009; EFSA, 2014). The estimated dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the Norwegian adult population (Birgisdottir et al., 2013) is also within the range of the BMDL01 values. Rice was identified as one of the main contributors to the dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in Europe (EFSA, 2014). Rice and rice products contain higher levels of inorganic arsenic than other food groups and individuals with a high consumption of rice and rice products may have a higher exposure to inorganic arsenic than the rest of the population, resulting in an added health risk. For infants and toddlers, rice and rice products are not an important source of inorganic arsenic (EFSA, 2014). According to EFSA (2014) the main contributor to exposure to inorganic arsenic in infants and toddlers was “milk and dairy products”, then “drinking water”, “grain-based processed products (non rice-based)” and “Foods for infants and young children”. However, the dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in toddlers and children is higher than in adults because of their higher food consumption relative to body weight (EFSA, 2014). Rice cakes are a product, which may contain particularly high levels of inorganic arsenic, and consumption of rice cakes by children will increase their exposure to inorganic arsenic (Livsmeddelsverket 2015, DTU Food 2013). Thus, Norwegian infants and toddlers with a high consumption of rice and rice products, such as rice cakes, may have a higher exposure to inorganic arsenic than other infants and toddlers, resulting in an added health risk. The edible seaweed Hijiki generally contains high levels of inorganic arsenic, whereas other seaweeds contain low levels of inorganic arsenic. Any consumption of Hikiji seaweed will lead to an additional exposure of inorganic arsenic, resulting in an added health risk.

Estimated assessment of cumulative dietary exposure to organophosphorus residues from tea infusion in China

BACKGROUND@#China has the world's largest tea plantation area in the world. To sustain high yields of the tea, multiple pesticides are used on tea crops to control pests. Organophosphorus (OP) pesticides are among the most widely used types of agricultural pesticides in China. As tea is a significant potential source of exposure to pesticide residues, the public concern has increased in relation to pesticide residues found in tea in China. The aim of the study was to estimate cumulative dietary exposure to OP residues from tea infusion for Chinese tea consumers to determine whether exposure to OP residues from tea infusion is a cause of health concern for tea consumers in China.@*METHODS@#OP residue data were obtained from the China National Monitoring Program on Food Safety (2013-2014), encompassing 1687 tea samples from 12 provinces. Tea consumption data were obtained from the China National Nutrient and Health Survey (2002), comprising 506 tea consumers aged 15-82 years. The transfer rates of residues from tea leaves into tea infusions were obtained from the literature. The relative potency factor (RPF) approach was used to estimate acute cumulative exposure to 20 OP residues from tea infusion using methamidophos as the index compound. Dietary exposure was calculated in a probabilistic way.@*RESULTS@#For tea consumers, the mean and the 99.9th percentile (P99.9) of cumulative dietary exposure to OP residues from tea infusion equalled 0.08 and 1.08 μg/kg bw/d. When compared with the acute reference dose (ARfD), 10 μg/kg bw/d for methamidophos, this accounts for 0.8 and 10.8% of the ARfD.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Even when considering OP residues from vegetables, fruits and other foods, there are no health concerns based on acute dietary exposure to OP residues from tea infusion. However, it is necessary to strengthen the management of the OP pesticides used on tea in China to reduce the risk of chronic dietary exposure to OPs from tea infusion.

Risk assessment of dietary exposure for organophosphates pesticides residues in some vegetables in Shaanxi Province / 预防医学

Objective To assess the dietary risk of organophosphates pesticides residues in some vegetables in Shaanxi Province. Methods The monitoring data of organophosphorus pesticides in vegetables from 2012 to 2016 were derived from Shaanxi Province Food Contamination Monitoring Network. The exposure of organophosphorus to vegetables by using exposure risk index (ERI) , dietary exposure risk index (RI) and dietary exposure risk assessment. Results Exposed risk index (ERI) of organophosphorus in some vegetables in Shaanxi Province ranged from 1.25E-06 to 1.87E-01, and among them, the highest ERI of clozaptid in garlic was 1.87E-01, followed by onion. In some vegetables, the highest exposure to organophosphorus was isocarbophos of fresh beans with an exposure of 4.27E-02 μg / (kg body weight · day) and the lowest dietary exposure was bulbs, and stems and fresh beans were 2.00E-04μg / (kg body weight·day) . The exposure of organophosphorus to all kinds of vegetables was less than their respective daily allowable intake (ADI) . The risk of dietary exposure to organic- phosphorus in vegetables was 187％ and greater than 100％ for the risk index (RI) of lettuce, and RI for all other vegetables was <100％. Conclusion The dietary exposure and risk index of organophosphates pesticides in some vegetables in Shaanxi Province was safe, and more attention should be paid to dimethoate and isazofos.

The contamination and dietary exposure analysis for seven mycotoxins in the Fifth Chinese Total Diet Study / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the contamination levels and dietary intakes of seven mycotoxins in Chinese diets.@*Methods@#In Chinese Total Diet Study, food aggregation was based on the food consumption of local residents, thus generating the sampling scheme. According to the sampling scheme, the food items were sampled at three survey points in each province and then mixed in the same proportion. The mixed dietary samples were prepared after being cooked and processed. The samples comprised of 13 categories of food: cereals, beans, potatoes, meat, eggs, aquatic products, milk, vegetables, fruits, saccharides, beverages and drinking water, alcohol, and condiments. Condiments were used in cooking, so there were in total 12 varieties of samples for determination. Altogether, the study included 240 mixed dietary samples from 20 provinces with 12 varieties. The contamination levels of the seven mycotoxins, including sterigmatocystin (SMC), citrinin (CIT), cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), moniliformin (MON), gliotoxin (GLIO), mycophenolateacid (MPA) and verruculogen (Verru), were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS method, and dietary intakes of residents were estimated as well.@*Results@#Among the detected seven mycotoxins, MPA,GLIO and Verru were not detected. The content range of CPA in beans was 0.47-1.57 μg/kg and in alcohol was 0.19-2.26 μg/kg, and the detection rate of CPA was 7.1% (17/240). The content of SMC in aquatic products of Guangxi, in saccharides of Beijing, and in beverages of Liaoning was 2.88 μg/kg, 0.01 μg/kg, and 0.53 μg/kg, respectively. The content range of SMC in aquatic products was 0.70-1.76 μg/kg, and the detection rate was 2.9% (7/240). In addition, the content of CIT in fruit of Sichuan was 5.31 μg/kg, and the content of MON in milk of Jilin was 3.60 μg/kg. According to the dietary exposure analysis, the exposure levels of the seven mycotoxins in China's general population were low. MPA, GLIO and Verru were not detected, and the exposure range of the other four mycotoxins were 0.000-8.132 (CIT), 0.000-27.448 (SMC), 0.000-3.026 (CPA), and 0.000-62.847 ng·kg-1·d-1 (MON), respectively.@*Conclusion@#In the detected seven mycotoxins, CPA, SMC, CIT and MON were detected only in the individual diet in some areas with a low dietary exposure level. However, the contamination level of CPA in alcohol merits attention.

Dietary assessment on dietary exposure of aluminium residents in Shaanxi Province / 中国食品卫生杂志

Objective To investigate the contamination and dietary intake of the aluminium in commercial foods in Shaanxi Province,and evaluate its potential health risks in Shaanxi population.Methods Six hundred and sixty-six samples from 8 kinds of foods in Shaanxi Province were collected from 2013 to 2015.The aluminium contents were detected according to National Food Contamination and Harmful Factors in Risk Monitoring Manual,and dietary intake of aluminium in Shaanxi population was evaluated by point assessment model with of nutritional survey date.Results The average dietary intake of aluminium was 0.154 9 mg/kg BW per day,and the dietary intake of woman aged 18 to 59 years old was the highest,with an average of 0.178 5 mg/kg BW per day.When aluminum intake of the 97.5 percentile,the dietary intake of aluminium in children aged 2 to 7 years old was the highest.The margins of safety (MOS) of all age groups were smaller than 1,while the MOS of high exposure (P97.5) group was above 1.Fried and baked food were the main sources of aluminium exposure in two age groups (2-7 years and 8-12 years old group),while fried food,cold noodle and starch products were the main sources of aluminium exposure for others.Conclusion Dietary intake (tP97.5) of aluminium exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI).The dietary intake of aluminium in women and children was high.Fried food was the main sources of aluminium exposure in all age groups.

The associations between blood mercury levels and shark meat intake among workers in Gyeongsangbuk-do

BACKGROUND: Shark meat is used as sacrificial food in Gyeongsangbuk-do, and is a major source of dietary mercury. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of shark meat intake or the ritual of Jesa on blood mercury levels within workers living in Gyeongsangbuk-do. METHODS: This study was conducted from September 2016 to October 2016 in two cities of Gyeongsangbuk-do. To compare the differences between urban and rural areas, two workplaces each in Daegu as the urban area and Yeongcheon as the rural area were selected. General characteristics and characteristics related to shark meat consumption of the workers were acquired by personal interviews during their health examination. Blood mercury concentrations were analyzed by the gold amalgamation method using a direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80; Milestone Inc., Shelton, CT, USA). RESULTS: The shark consumption group had a higher blood mercury concentration than the non-consumption group. The levels of blood mercury increased with the frequency, annual intake, as well as most recent date of shark meat consumption. Moreover, the levels of mercury in blood increased according to the annual frequency of participation in Jesa (times per year) and the annual frequency of shark meat consumption during Jesa (times per year). CONCLUSIONS: Shark meat intake and the ritual of Jesa contributed to an increase in the blood mercury levels of workers in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate dietary exposure, occupational as well as other factors that may influence blood mercury concentrations in workers during their health examination, particularly in regions with high mercury exposures.

Refined Exposure Assessment of E150 Food Colours with Use Levels Provided by the Industry.

Aim: The study was performed on the initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the Federation of the Dutch Food and Grocery Industry (FNLI), in order to develop a risk-based monitoring system as requested in EU Regulations EU 1332/2008 (food enzymes), 1333/2008 (food additives) and 1334/2008 (flavorings). Approach and Results: The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) performed a study in which the total dietary exposure to E150a, E150b, E150c and E150d was estimated by applying use levels provided by the food industry. Previously, exposure to E150 was estimated using maximum use levels linked to aggregated food categories (e.g. all beers, including blond beer, were assumed to contain the maximum reported use level of dark beer), which results in overestimates of exposure. Collection of use levels of foods present on the Dutch market allows refined linkage of these concentrations to foods on the food group level (e.g. use levels of kidney bean soup were linked to the consumption of ‘legume soup’ instead of to all foods belonging to the food category ‘soups and broths’) or even on food level (e.g. use levels of ‘speculaas’ were linked to the consumption of this food instead of all foods belonging to the food category ‘fine bakery wares’). When refining the exposure assessment in this way using food consumption data from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey (DNFCS) 2007-2010, a lower and more realistic exposure estimate for E150 was obtained for the adult population aged 17-30 years compared with a recent EFSA exposure assessment. For children aged 2-6 years (DNFCS-young children), the exposure estimate was comparable to that obtained by EFSA. Conclusion: The cooperation between risk managers, exposure assessors and the food industry results in a win-win-situation for all parties by 1) providing a cost-effective approach for risk managers, 2) providing exposure assessors a reliable and representative data set and 3) providing a realistic estimate, which is important for both the government and the industry. The monitoring system may be used to assess exposure levels of additives and flavorings in other European Member States. It is recommended to explore the use of the monitoring system in the other Member States. The complete report can be downloaded for free from: http://www.rivm.nl/en/Documents_and_publications/Scientific/Reports/2014/mei/Refined_exposure _assessment_of_E150_food_colours_with_use_levels_provided_by_the_industry?sp=cXVlcnk9KE UxNTApO0lOTElCUkFSWT10cnVlO1NJVEVMQU5HVUFHRT1lbjtzZWFyY2hiYXNlPTA7c2VhcmN ocmFuZ2U9NTA7c2VhcmNoZXhwcmVzc2lvbj1TSVRFTEFOR1VBR0UgQU5EIElOTElCUkFSWSB BTkQgU0lURUxBTkdVQUdFO3NvcnRmaWVsZD1wdWJsaXNoZGF0ZTtzb3J0cmV2ZXJzZWQ9d HJ1ZTs=&query=E150&pagenr=1&result=rivmp%3A247860 Full report is also available as ‘Supplementary File’.

Refined Exposure Assessment of Smoke Flavoring Primary Products with Use Levels Provided by the Industry. A Pilot Study into Data Collection of Use Levels.

Aim: The study was performed on the initiative of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and the Federation of the Dutch Food and Grocery Industry (FNLI), in order to develop a risk-based monitoring system as requested in EU Regulations EU 1332/2008 (food enzymes), 1333/2008 (food additives) and 1334/2008 (flavorings). In this study, we explored the appropriateness of smoke flavor primary product use levels provided by the industry for refined exposure assessment of these substances. Approach and Results: Previously, exposure estimates were performed with aggregated food categories. In this study, use levels of smoke flavor primary products obtained from the industry were linked to individual food consumption data of children aged 2–6 years and of the population aged 7-69 years, using disaggregated food categories. The reported data were suitable for exposure assessment, provided that they were sufficiently representative for foods consumed in the Netherlands. To evaluate the method, the exposure assessment was performed for the total intake of all smoke flavor primary products. Therefore, the exposure estimates of the current study cannot be used for the risk assessment of individual smoke flavor primary products. Nevertheless, this would be possible with the current dataset using the method described in this report, provided that additional data on market shares of foods or of individual smoke flavor primary products are available. Conclusion: The exposure to smoke flavor primary products can be more accurately assessed using data obtained from the industry. The cooperation between risk managers, exposure assessors and the food industry results in a win-win-situation for all parties by 1) providing a costeffective approach for risk managers, 2) providing exposure assessors a reliable and representative data set and 3) providing a realistic estimate, which is important for both the government and the industry. The monitoring system may be used to assess exposure levels of additives and flavorings in other European Member States. It is recommended to explore the use of the monitoring system in other European Member States, with smoke flavoring primary products as a case study. The complete report can be downloaded for free from: http://www.rivm.nl/dsresource?objectid=rivmp:225311&type=org&disposition=inline Full report is also available as ‘Supplementary File’.

Dietary Exposure to Benzyl Butyl Phthalate in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) is a plasticizer used in food contact materials. Dietary exposure to BBP might lead to reproduction and developmental damages to human. The present paper was aimed to assess the health risk of BBP dietary exposure in Chinese population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The BBP contents were detected in 7409 food samples from 25 food categories by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry operated in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The dietary exposures of BBP in different age and sex groups were estimated by combining the content data with food consumption data derived from 2002 China National Nutrient and Health Survey, and evaluated according to the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of BBP established by European Food safety Agency.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>It was found that BBP was undetectable in most samples and the highest level was 1.69 mg/kg detected in a vegetable oil sample. The average dietary exposure of BBP in people aged ⋝2 years was 1.03 μg/kg bw per day and the highest average exposure was found in 2-6 years old children (1.98 μg/kg bw per day). The BBP exposure in 7-12 months old children excessed 10% of tolerable daily intake (TDI) in worst scenario. .</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The health risk of BBP dietary exposure in Chinese population is low and, considering BBP alone, there is no safety concern.</p>

Korean research project on the integrated exposure assessment of hazardous substances for food safety

OBJECTIVES: This survey was designed to conduct the first nationwide dietary exposure assessment on hazardous substances including the intakes of functional food and herbal medicine. In this paper, we introduced the survey design and the results of the dietary exposure status and internal exposure levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg). METHODS: We selected 4867 subjects of all ages throughout Korea. We conducted a food survey, dietary survey, biomonitoring, and health survey. RESULTS: Pb and Cd were the highest (median value) in the seaweed (94.2 mug/kg for Pb; 594 mug/kg for Cd), and Hg was the highest in the fish (46.4 mug/kg). The dietary exposure level (median value) of Pb was 0.14 mug/kg body weight (bw)/d, 0.18 mug/kg bw/d for Cd, and 0.07 mug/kg bw/d for Hg. Those with a blood Pb level of less than 5.00 mug/dL (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reference value for those 1 to 5 years of age) were 99.0% of all the subjects. Those with a blood Cd level with less than 0.30 mug/L (German Federal Environmental Agency, reference value for non-smoking children) were 24.5%. For those with a blood Hg level with less than 5.00 mug/L (human biomonitoring I, references value for children and adults, German Federal Environmental Agency) was 81.0 % of all the subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The main dietary exposure of heavy metals occurs through food consumed in a large quantity and high frequency. The blood Hg level and dietary exposure level of Hg were both higher than those in the European Union.