Open AccessRisk assessment of aflatoxins in food
Author(s) -
Schrenk Dieter,
Bignami Margherita,
Bodin Laurent,
Chipman James Kevin,
del Mazo Jesús,
GraslKraupp Bettina,
Hogstrand Christer,
Hoogenboom Laurentius Ron,
Leblanc JeanCharles,
Nebbia Carlo Stefano,
Nielsen Elsa,
Ntzani Evangelia,
Petersen Annette,
Sand Salomon,
Schwerdtle Tanja,
Vleminckx Christiane,
Marko Doris,
Oswald Isabelle P,
Piersma Aldert,
Routledge Michael,
Schlatter Josef,
Baert Katleen,
Gergelova Petra,
Wallace Heather
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
efsa journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.076
H-Index - 97
ISSN - 1831-4732
DOI - 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6040
Subject(s) - aflatoxin , potency , toxicology , reference dose , risk assessment , confidence interval , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , zoology , food science , biology , in vitro , biochemistry , computer security , computer science
EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of aflatoxins in food. The risk assessment was confined to aflatoxin B1 ( AFB 1), AFB 2, AFG 1, AFG 2 and AFM 1. More than 200,000 analytical results on the occurrence of aflatoxins were used in the evaluation. Grains and grain‐based products made the largest contribution to the mean chronic dietary exposure to AFB 1 in all age classes, while ‘liquid milk’ and ‘fermented milk products’ were the main contributors to the AFM 1 mean exposure. Aflatoxins are genotoxic and AFB 1 can cause hepatocellular carcinomas ( HCC s) in humans. The CONTAM Panel selected a benchmark dose lower confidence limit ( BMDL ) for a benchmark response of 10% of 0.4 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day for the incidence of HCC in male rats following AFB 1 exposure to be used in a margin of exposure ( MOE ) approach. The calculation of a BMDL from the human data was not appropriate; instead, the cancer potencies estimated by the Joint FAO / WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in 2016 were used. For AFM 1, a potency factor of 0.1 relative to AFB 1 was used. For AFG 1, AFB 2 and AFG 2, the in vivo data are not sufficient to derive potency factors and equal potency to AFB 1 was assumed as in previous assessments. MOE values for AFB 1 exposure ranged from 5,000 to 29 and for AFM 1 from 100,000 to 508. The calculated MOE s are below 10,000 for AFB 1 and also for AFM 1 where some surveys, particularly for the younger age groups, have an MOE below 10,000. This raises a health concern. The estimated cancer risks in humans following exposure to AFB 1 and AFM 1 are in‐line with the conclusion drawn from the MOE s. The conclusions also apply to the combined exposure to all five aflatoxins.