Determination of high-intensity sweeteners in bakery products marketed in Brazil and dietary exposure assessment.

Bakery products, including biscuits, cakes and breads, generally present a high content of simple sugars of rapid absorption, high fat content and low amount of dietary fiber, which make them highly caloric foods. Although sucrose is a very important ingredient in bakery products for its preservation characteristics and a significant source of energy, there is a growing interest in replacing this sugar with alternative substances, such as high-intensity sweeteners (HIS) that provide sweetness with no or low calories. In Brazil, there is no data on the use of HIS in this class of food. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of HIS in baked food commercially available in the country and estimate the dietary exposure to these food additives. For that, an analytical method was established for the simultaneous determination of nine HIS in bakery products using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Sample preparation steps were required based on mechanical kneading for homogenization, hexane extraction of fats, dilution in mobile phase and vortex homogenization, prior to injection into the system. The results obtained during validation showed that coefficients of variation (CV%) for precision were lower than 13.8% and the accuracy was between 91.6% and 109.1%. Aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sodium cyclamate, saccharin, sucralose and steviol glycosides were found in the samples, used alone or in combinations of up five substances. Steviol glycosides were the most found HIS in biscuit samples, while sucralose was the most common sweetener in cake and bread samples. Analysis of product labels revealed only three different claims, .i.e. 'no sugar', 'no added sugar' and 'zero sugar', with the latter being found in 70% of the samples. Exposure to HIS through the consumption of bakery products estimated per eating occasion showed no concerns regarding toxicological risk.

Theoretical estimation of nitrates and nitrites intake from food additives by the Brazilian population.

Sodium and potassium nitrates and nitrites are preservatives widely used in meat products and some cheese. They are important toxicologically but there is a lack of data on the exposure of the Brazilian population to these additives. This study aimed to verify the frequency of the use of nitrates and nitrites in processed foods in Brazil and to estimate their theoretical intake by the Brazilian population. A database was built of supermarket products containing nitrates, nitrites, and antioxidants. The Theoretical Maximum Daily Intake (TMDI) and TMDI balanced by the prevalence of food consumption (TMDI BPFC) were determined using consumption data from the Household Budget Surveys (2008/2009 and 2017/2018). The TMDI for nitrates and nitrites was lower than the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for all population groups. Considering the prevalence of food consumption (consumers only), the TMDI BPFC values were lower than the ADI for nitrates (between 0.4 and 0.9 times the ADI) but very high values were obtained for nitrites (between 10 and 24 times the ADI). Our results suggest that the Brazilian population, especially some population groups, may be consuming unsafe amounts of nitrite. As a consequence, their health may be at risk.

Selenium in selected samples of infant formulas and milk commercialized in Belgium and Brazil: Total content, speciation and estimated intake.

Total selenium (Se) and Se species concentrations were determined in 50 infant formulas and milk samples commercialized in Brazil and Belgium. Infant formula categories were starter, follow-up, specialized and plant-based (soy and rice), while milk samples included whole, skimmed, semi-skimmed and plant-based products. Total Se content was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), after microwave digestion. An enzymatic extraction method was applied to evaluate the Se species, mostly selenomethionine (SeMet), Se(IV) and Se(VI), through High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to ICP-MS (LC-ICP-MS). Starters and follow-up samples presented the highest total Se concentrations and values up to 30 µg/kg were observed in the reconstituted product. The lowest level (below the LOQ = 10 µg/kg) was verified in an anti-regurgitation specialized formula. The relative agreement between the measured total Se and the Se content declared on the label varied from 55 % to 317 %. Concentrations in infant formulas were not markedly different from concentrations in milk except for rice and oat milk samples that showed values below the LOQ. SeMet was the main species found in milks, while in infant formulas the species concentrations varied according to the product. The daily intake (DI) of Se via infant formula consumption was calculated and compared with the Adequate Intake (AI) value and the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) established by the EFSA NDA Panel and ANVISA, respectively. Estimated maximum intakes of total Se obtained for reconstituted infant formula were 40.6 mg/day, corresponding to 400 % and 202 % of the DRI and AI, respectively.

Tetracyclines in pasteurized milk commercialized in São Paulo, Brazil: occurrence and dietary risk assessment based on single and combined exposure with polyether ionophores.

Tetracyclines and polyether ionophores are veterinary drugs frequently used in animals reared for food production. Despite the benefits, residues can be harmful for human health if levels are higher than those considered safe. The aim of this study was to evaluate, by LC-MS/MS, tetracyclines residues in pasteurised milk samples marketed in São Paulo state, Brazil and estimate the exposure of the adult/adolescent/children population. Within the eight antibiotics monitored two were detected, tetracycline and 4-epitetracycline, found in 22.5% and 12.5% of the samples, respectively. Since the same samples had been previously tested for polyether ionophore residues, risk assessment based on dietary exposure to tetracyclines when considered individually and in combination with the ionophores was performed. The daily intakes were below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for tetracycline. Considering the levels of monensin reported in a previous study, the combined exposure with tetracycline and 4-epi-tetracycline also indicated low potential health concerns.

Polyether ionophores residues in pasteurized milk marketed in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Occurrence and exposure assessment.

This paper aimed to survey the occurrence of six polyether ionophores (lasalocid, maduramycin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin and semduramycin) in pasteurized milk using a validated method by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). For that, 40 samples of pasteurized milk, from seven brands, collected in six locations (supermarkets, grocery stores and greengrocers) in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, were evaluated. Sampling included whole (18), skimmed (8) and semi-skimmed (10) milk as well as lactose-free (4) products. Only monensin antibiotic residues were found in the analyzed samples. This ionophore was confirmed in 45% of the samples and quantified in 32.5% at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.27 µg kg-1. The positive samples were whole or semi-skimmed milk. Considering the levels of monensin reported in the present study and data on milk consumption in Brazil, an exposure assessment indicated that the intake of this antibiotic does not represent a risk to health.

Monensin residues in the production of Minas Frescal cheese: Stability, effects on fermentation, fate and physicochemical characteristics of the cheese.

Considering the widespread use of the antibiotic monensin (MON) in the Brazilian livestock and the possibility of residues in milk, this paper aimed to study the stability and fate of this drug during the production of Brazilian Minas Frescal cheese, its effects on milk fermentation and on the physicochemical characteristics of this product. For that, samples of raw milk were fortified with MON at three different nominal concentrations (1.0, 2.0 and 8.0 µg/kg), passed through heat treatment and used to produce Minas Frescal cheese. Pasteurization efficiency was certified by alkaline phosphatase and peroxidase enzyme tests and cheese samples were evaluated for pH, moisture and total protein and fat content. MON residues were determined by LC-MS/MS in the following steps: raw milk, heat-treated milk, whey and cheese. No significant degradation of MON due to heat treatment was observed, suggesting that the drug is resistant to high temperatures. Moreover, the residue levels quantified in cheese and whey demonstrated a concentration of this antibiotic in the curd by about 5-fold, with a small amount of MON being lost during draining. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) considering the physicochemical parameters evaluated in cheese samples. Fermentation was also not affected by the presence of the drug. The results showed that residues of MON in milk are stable during cheese production and may be concentrated in the final product, as well as indicate the need to establish a MON safe residue level for this food commodity.

Aluminum content and effect of in vitro digestion on bioaccessible fraction in cereal-based baby foods.

The aim of this work was to determine the total concentration and the effect of in vitro digestion on the bioaccessible fraction of aluminum (Al) in 35 different cereal-based baby food samples and estimate the exposure to this element considering the consumption of this product. Total Al content was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after oxidative microwave digestion. An in vitro digestion method was applied and optimized to evaluate the bioaccessible fraction. The methods performance was efficient for both approached analysis and presented limits of detection and quantitation of 53 µg kg-1 and 89 µg kg-1, respectively. Total concentration and bioaccessibility varied according to the product composition (rice, oat, wheat, barley, corn, multicereal and fruit). Multicereals and fruit-based (plum) cereals presented the highest total Al concentrations (8.82 mg kg-1 and 7.49 mg kg-1, respectively), whilst lower values were observed for corn and rice flour cereals (0.92 mg kg-1 and 1.09 mg kg-1, respectively). The bioaccessible fraction varied from 1.5% to 10.4% in the evaluated samples. Exposure to Al was estimated and compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) of 2 mg kg-1 body weight. The results showed that the daily consumption of three portions of cereals contributes up to 10.48% of the PTWI, when considering the total Al concentration reported in this study.