Exposure assessment to mycotoxins in gluten-free diet for celiac patients.

Mycotoxins are low molecular weight secondary metabolites produced by certain strains of filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium, which attack crops in the field, and grow on foods also during storage under favorable conditions of temperature and humidity. Foods mainly contributing to the intake of mycotoxins with diet are cereals, maize being the most risky commodity due to the potential co-occurrence of more than one mycotoxin, this can be of particular concern especially for vulnerable group of population such as celiac patients that show increased maize-based products consumption. In this study the exposure of celiac patients to fumonisins (FBs) and zearalenone (ZON) has been assessed. The higher exposures, for all the matrices and for both the selected mycotoxins, were for children age group. The lower and upper bound exposure ranged between 348-582 ng/kg bw/day for FBs and 22-83 ng/kg bw/day for ZON; these values result well below the TDI for the selected mycotoxins, representing the 17-29% and 9-33% of the TDI set for FBs and ZON, respectively. Even considering the worst scenario the exposure values reported for children were lower, namely 1385 ng/kg bw/day for FBs and 237 ng/kg bw/day for ZON, than the corresponding toxicological thresholds.

Simultaneous determination of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in baby foods and paprika by HPLC with fluorescence detection: a single-laboratory validation study.

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungal origin, the major mycotoxins of food concern are aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. Due to the wide range of matrices susceptible to mycotoxin contamination, the possible co-occurrence, and the very wide range of concentration, validated versatile multi-mycotoxin and multi-matrix methods are strongly requested. A reversed phase HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in baby foods and paprika was set up. Three bulk samples were prepared according to commercial availability, one for paprika and for baby foods, two different bulks were set, a corn based and a multi-cereal based baby food. A single-laboratory validation was performed, for each investigated level ten analyses were performed, relative standard deviations of repeatability (RSD(r)) and recovery factors were calculated; RSD(r) values ranged from 2% to 10% for AFB(1) and from 3% to 10% for OTA, while the recovery factors ranged from 86% to 96% for AFB(1) and from 77% to 96% for OTA. The checked compliance of the RSD(r) and recovery with the values reported in the current EU Regulations confirmed the fitting for purpose of the method. Limit of detection and LoQ values of the method were respectively 0.002 and 0.020 µg/kg for AFB(1) and 0.012 and 0.080 µg/kg for OTA in baby foods; and 0.002 and 0.200 µg/kg for AFB(1) and 0.012 and 0.660 µg/kg for OTA in paprika. The current method represents a good example of the possibility of a multi-mycotoxin and/or a multi-matrix analysis depending on the laboratory research or official control purposes.

The role of sampling in mycotoxin contamination: an holistic view.

The need to obtain a representative sample deserves particular consideration since a wrong sampling plan can greatly affect the reliability of the measured levels of mycotoxins. This can even result in legal disputes and barriers to trade. Reported here is an holistic view for an ideal sampling plan, which is based on two consecutive steps: (i) To establish 'why, where and when' sampling has to be performed by assessing the purpose, the appropriate time and the site for collecting the samples; (ii) To establish 'how' to draw samples by assessing practical ad hoc guidelines, considering that, for bulk goods in particular, mycotoxins are not at all homogeneously distributed in a lot. So far, step 1 is not yet covered by specific guidelines while for step 2, European regulations establish the procedures for the sampling of bulk and retail products potentially contaminated by mycotoxins.