Dietary exposure to mycotoxins of 1- and 2-year-old children from a Dutch Total Diet Study

• Published in: World mycotoxin journal Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 85 - 97
• Main Authors: Pustjens, A.M, Castenmiller, J.J.M, te Biesebeek, J.D, de Rijk, T.C, van Dam, R.C.J, Boon, P.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wageningen Academic Publishers 22.02.2022
• Subjects: RESEARCH ARTICLE; total diet study; risk assessment; dietary exposure; mycotoxins; children; the Netherlands
• ISSN: 1875-0710; 1875-0796
• DOI: 10.3920/WMJ2020.2676

In 2017, a Total Diet Study was conducted in the Netherlands in which mycotoxins were analysed in foods and beverages consumed by 1- and 2-year-old children. These mycotoxins were aflatoxins, Alternaria toxins, citrinin, ergot alkaloids, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, patulin, sterigmatocystin, trichothecenes, and zearalenone. Long-term exposure was calculated by combining concentrations in foods and beverages with consumed amounts of these products. Analysed foods and beverages with a concentration below the detection limit that could contain the mycotoxin, were assigned a concentration equal to half this limit value. To assess if the exposure could result in a possible health risk, the high long-term exposure (95th percentile) was compared with a health-based guidance value (HBGV) or a margin of exposure (MOE) was calculated. Exposure to aflatoxins, Alternaria toxins, ochratoxin A and T-2/HT-2 sum may pose a health concern. Foods that contributed most to the exposure of these mycotoxins were bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, chocolates, dried fruit, follow-on formula and fruit juices.