Search

[Display omitted] • OTA and DON occurred in infant milk formula. • OTA, DON, and ZEN occurred in baby cereal. • Risk estimate revealed health concerns for OTA through milk formula consumption. • Special mycotoxin regulations for infant foods are highly recommended in Chile. Ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON) are mycotoxins whose exposure is associated with various adverse health effects, including cancer and renal disorders, estrogenic effects, and immunosuppressive and gastrointestinal disorders, respectively. Infants (<2 years) are the most vulnerable group to mycotoxins, representing a unique combination of restricted food consumption types, low body weight, lower ability to eliminate toxins, and more future years to accumulate toxins. This study aimed to estimate the infant́s exposure to OTA, DON, and ZEN due to the consumption of milk formula and baby cereals in Chile. Milk formula samples (n = 41) and baby cereals (n = 30) were collected and analyzed using commercial ELISA kits for OTA, DON, and ZEA determination. Exposure was assessed by the Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) approach (mean and worst-case scenario, WCS) with the levels found in a modified Lower Bound (mLB) and Upper Bound (UB); ideal consumption (<6m, 7–12 m, and 13–24 m); adjusted by the weight of each group. The risk was estimated by comparing the EDI with a reference tolerable daily intake or by the margin of exposure (MOE) in the case of OTA. DON and OTA occurrence in infant formula were 34 % and 41 %, respectively. The co-occurrence between these mycotoxins was 22 %. Mycotoxin contents were below LOQ values except for OTA determined in one sample (0.29 ng/ml). No milk formulae were contaminated with ZEN. In the case of baby cereals, the occurrences were 17 % for OTA, 30 % for DON, and 7 % for ZEN, all below LOQ. Co-occurrence was seen in two samples between ZEN and OTA. According to exposure calculations, the MOE for OTA was less than 10,000 in all models for milk formula between 0 to 12 months of age and in the UB and WCS for cereal consumption. Health concerns were observed for DON in the WCS and UB for milk consumption in all ages and only in the UB WCS for cereal consumption. Considering the high consumption of milk formula in these age groups, regulation of OTA and other co-occurring mycotoxins in infant milk and food is strongly suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential ingestion of food products contaminated with ochratoxin A (OTA) is cause of concern for public health. Currently, several detection methods are available to detect OTA in singles spices but not in spice mixtures such as merkén. The present study modified, optimized, and validated a method for successful OTA quantification in merkén, paprika, and chili. A total of 321 merkén (n: 256), paprika (n: 39), and chili (n: 26) samples were collected from different retail locations in Chile over a 5-year period (2016–2020). OTA levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Validation parameters that included the limit of detection (LOD: 0.3 ng g−1), limit of quantification (LOQ: 1.0 ng g−1), linearity (0.9975), recovery in a fortified blank matrix (5 ng g−1: 81–105%), and relative standard deviation (RSD: 0.49–6.87%) were satisfactory. The presence of OTA in merkén, paprika, and chili samples was 66%, 59%, and 61%, respectively. Maximum OTA levels in merkén, paprika, and chili exceeded the limit established by national regulations of 5 ng g−1 by 77-fold (387.9 ng g−1), 59-fold (297 ng g−1), and 14-fold (71.6 ng g−1), respectively. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values were considerably higher in 2017 than 2020 (paprika ˃ chili ˃ merkén). The EDI values were also lower than the Benchmark dose level (BMDL 10 ; 4730 ng kg−1 bw day) for non-neoplastic effects. Our study pinpointed the importance for continuously monitoring and regulating the OTA contamination in agricultural commodities such as spices. More investigations should be generated to modify the current regulation of OTA in spices. [Display omitted] • HPLC-FLD was adapted, optimized, and validated to quantify OTA in merkén. • The highest incidence of OTA occurred in merkén (66%). • The maximum levels in the range of 71.6 – 387.9 ng g−1 were quantified in spices. • EDI to OTA from merkén, paprika, and chili was < BMDL10 (OTA non-neoplastic effects). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to provide the first study on the mycobiota present in Chilean pepper Capsicum annuum L. cv. "Cacho de Cabra" throughout the early production stages. Two hundred and forty berry fruits were sampled: 1) at the ripe fruits harvest day; 2) during drying; and 3) smoking processes. A total of 192 strains, encompassing 11 genera and 44 species, were identified through analysis of β-tubulin (benA) gene and internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS) region. All collection points showed samples with high fungal contamination, but the mycobiota composition varied as a result of different environmental conditions. Alternaria spp. and Fusarium spp. were predominantly isolated from fresh fruits of C. annuum. Penicillium spp. was the most frequent genus in all analysed points. Penicillium brevicompactum and P. crustosum were the most abundant species. Among Aspergillus, A. niger and A. flavus were dominant after the drying phase. In our study, none of the analysed strains of Penicillium (113) and Aspergillus (35) produced Ochratoxin A at detectable levels. The broad characterization of the fungal community of C. annuum carried out in this study, could be a guideline for future mycotoxin analyses performed directly on the pod. Understanding the role and dynamics of mycobiota and its relationship with the toxins present in this substrate, will be useful to establish and improve control measures considering the specificities of each point in the C. annuum production chain., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)