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Deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced by various Fusarium species, was analyzed in 200 cereal-based food products collected from e-commerce stores in China. Optimized methods using immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up coupled with UV detection were applied. DON was detected in 87.5% (12.5–1920.4 μg/kg) of samples, and 10.5% of tested samples exceeded the legal limit for DON in China (1000 μg/kg). DON was found in 100% of whole wheat flour (51.6–1308.9 μg/kg), Chinese steamed bread (54.5–845.4 μg/kg), and biscuit (40.9–1920.4 μg/kg), samples, and in 85.3% of all-purpose flour (12.5–1285.4 μg/kg), 73.3% of maize flour (26.4–138.2 μg/kg), and 60.0% of oat flake samples (16.8–243.6 μg/kg), with 426.0, 293.0, 419.2, 455.7, 55.4, and 44.0 μg/kg, respectively, representing the mean levels in these products. A chronic intake assessment indicated that estimated daily intake (EDI) of DON through the consumption of wheat flour was 1.0–3.8 and 3.1–11.3 times that of the Provisional Maximum Tolerable Daily Intake (PMTDI) of 1.0 μg/kg body weight/day for adults and children, respectively, at different levels. The EDIs of DON consumed through wheat flour-derived products (Chinese steamed bread and biscuits) for children was 1.7–12.7 times those of the PMTDI at different levels, whereas the EDIs obtained through consumption of maize flour and oat flakes were 0.2 times lower than those of the PMTDI for both adults and children. In a dietary exposure assessment, the acute hazard indexes (aHI) for adults and children were above 100% of Acute Reference Dose (ARfD) of 8.0 μg/kg body weight/day) through the consumption of wheat flour, Chinese steamed bread, and biscuits, and the aHIs were only 16.4% (31.2%) and 5.1% (8.3%) of ARfD for adults (children). Among the cereal-based food products analyzed, both chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term) dietary exposure assessments for DON consumption by adults and children indicated that wheat flour (all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour), Chinese steamed bread, and biscuits have become sources of potential health hazards in the human diet in China. The risk associated with DON contamination in maize flour and oat flakes should also not be ignored.

A quantitative method with broad applicability was developed and validated for patulin determination in fruit products by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. Sample pretreatment was optimized for patulin extraction. 4.0 g of fruit products was extracted for patulin determination with acetonitrile and purified with a mixture of 1.0 g PSA and 3 g MgSO 4 plus a multifunctional cartridge to remove interferences. Under optimized conditions, the recoveries ranging from 75.6% to 118.5% were obtained at different spiking concentrations in various fruit products. The correlation coefficient of patulin from 5 to 1000 μg/L was approximately 1.00. The limits of detection (LODs) were from 2.6 to 7.5 μg/kg, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were from 8.0 to 15.0 μg/kg for patulin in various fruit products. A total of 137 fruit products (97 dried fruits, 20 fruit juice and 20 jams) marketed and consumed in China were investigated. The incidence of patulin in fruit products was 30.7% (42/137) with a concentration ranging from 10.0 to 276.9 μg/kg. This study revealed that the dried figs, dried longans (seedless) and dried hawthorn products showed an average of patulin contamination of 87.6 μg/kg, 68.4 μg/kg and 5.1 μg/kg, respectively; the fruit juice of 5.4 μg/kg; the fruit jams of 5.0 μg/kg. The highest levels of patulin were found mostly in dried longans (seedless) and dried figs. Overall, 17.5% of total samples exceeded the maximum limit of 50 μg/kg set by the EU regulation. Chronic intake assessment indicated that only 0.29% (Hazard Quotient) acceptable daily intake (PMTDI, 0.4 μg/kg bw/day) was consumed through dried fruits, fruit juice and jams. Individual dietary risk assessment indicated patulin contamination in fruit products doesn't pose public health risks, but combined additive or synergistic toxic effects caused by multiple mycotoxin contaminations should not be ignored.