Natural contaminants in infant food: The case of regulated and emerging mycotoxins. (May 2021) - Braun, Dominik
Abstract: Breast milk substitutes, e.g. infant formulae, are commonly introduced to the diet within the first months of life. As the infants' detoxifying capability is not fully developed, it is of vital importance to minimize their exposure to food contaminants. Here, we present a comprehensive multi-mycotoxin assessment in infant food. Samples from the Austrian and Czech market (n = 59) were screened for 46 mycotoxins and key metabolites using two complementary LC-MS/MS methods. Trace levels of 17 mycotoxins, including aflatoxin B1 (0.4 μg/kg), zearalenone (<2.3 μg/kg), deoxynivalenol (<131 μg/kg) and fumonisin B1 (<39 μg/kg) were detected. Infant formulae were contaminated at lower levels compared to cereal-based products. Overall, the concentrations of most toxins were near or below their respective LOQ values. However, two raw flour samples exceeded the regulatory limit of aflatoxin B1 for infant foods. Interestingly, two toxins not reported previously, namely aflatoxicol and sterigmatocystin, were identified in 3 and 17% of infant foods, respectively. Highlights: First multi-analyte screening of infant food targeting various mycotoxin classes. First evidence of aflatoxicol and sterigmatocystin contamination in infant food. Mycotoxin co-contamination was evident in 34 out of 59 analyzed samples. Hypothetic maximum daily infant exposures estimated based on upper bound scenario.