M. de Nijs

Assessment of human exposure to fumonisin B1.

Fumonisin B1 is currently regarded as the most significant mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp. It has carcinogenic properties and may play a role in the etiology of human esophageal cancer. The human population is exposed to fumonisin B1 primarily by intake of fumonisin B1-contaminated maize. Maize consumed in the Netherlands is imported from all parts of the world. Since processing will not affect the overall toxic effect, the fumonisin B1 intake is directly related to the quantity of maize consumed. Literature results concerning the occurrence of fumonisin B1 in a total of 349 samples of maize from 18 countries worldwide demonstrated the presence of this mycotoxin in 93% of the samples. The median fumonisin B1 contamination of all samples was 420 ng of fumonisin B1 per g of maize, and the average contamination level was 1,359 ng of fumonisin B1 per g of maize. Human intake of fumonisin B1 was estimated based on the maize consumption of all people in the Netherlands in 1992. A probability distribution was derived to allow estimation of the exposure of the population to fumonisin B1 intake in relation to maize intake. It showed that among those in the group considered to be at risk, people with gluten intolerance such as people with celiac or Dührings disease, 37% are estimated to be exposed to an intake of at least 10(5) ng and 97% to an intake of at least 10(3) ng of fumonisin B1 per person per day. For all people in the Netherlands these percentages would be 1% and 49%, respectively.

Exposure assessment of cattle via roughages to plants producing compounds of concern.

Food producing animals are exposed to biologically active plant compounds through feed and roughages, presenting a potential risk to the animal but also consumers of food of animal origin. To evaluate to which plant compounds of concern dairy cows in the Netherlands are exposed, a ranking filter model was developed, combining information on abundance of plant species in vegetation plots in the Netherlands (183,905 plots of three different vegetation types) with plant-compound combinations (700), and with consumption data of fresh grass, grass silage and corn silage by cattle. The most abundant plant genera are those producing cyanogenic glycosides, coumarins and benzofuranocoumarins, being predominantly fodder plants (alfalfa, clover and some grasses) considered to be safe. Highest exposures were estimated for plant genera producing piperidine alkaloids (horsetail), furanocoumarins (parsley and relatives), pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Symphytum, Senecio, Leucanthemum, Eupatorium) and essential oils. The current results allow to prioritise future scientific research on these compounds.

Fumonisin B1 in maize for food production imported in the Netherlands

Sixty-two samples of maize imported in The Netherlands and intended for human consumption were screened for the presence and concentration of fumonisin B1. Sixty-one of those samples contained fumonisin B1 with concentrations ranging from 30 to 3350 micrograms kg-1, 11 maize samples contained > 1000 micrograms kg-1. The average fumonisin B1 concentration was 640 micrograms kg-1 for the positive samples and 620 micrograms kg-1 for all samples. Medians were 600 micrograms kg-1 and 550 micrograms kg-1 for positive and all samples, respectively. The results obtained were comparable to results from other studies in maize from various countries.

Strategies for estimating human exposure to mycotoxins via food

In this review, five strategies to estimate mycotoxin exposure of a (sub-)population via food, including data collection, are discussed with the aim to identify the added values and limitations of each strategy for risk assessment of these chemicals. The well-established point estimate, observed individual mean, probabilistic and duplicate diet strategies are addressed, as well as the emerging human biomonitoring strategy. All five exposure assessment strategies allow the estimation of chronic (long-term) exposure to mycotoxins, and, with the exception of the observed individual mean strategy, also acute (short-term) exposure. Methods for data collection, i.e. food consumption surveys, food monitoring studies and total diet studies are discussed. In food monitoring studies, the driving force is often enforcement of legal limits, and, consequently, data are often generated with relatively high limits of quantification and targeted at products suspected to contain mycotoxin levels above these legal limits. ...

Safe food and feed through an integrated toolbox for mycotoxin management: the MyToolBox approach

There is a pressing need to mobilise the wealth of knowledge from the international mycotoxin research conducted over the past 25-30 years, and to perform cutting-edge research where knowledge gaps still exist. This knowledge needs to be integrated into affordable and practical tools for farmers and food processors along the chain in order to reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination of crops, feed and food. This is the mission of MyToolBox – a four-year project which has received funding from the European Commission. It mobilises a multi-actor partnership (academia, farmers, technology small and medium sized enterprises, food industry and policy stakeholders) to develop novel interventions aimed at achieving a significant reduction in crop losses due to mycotoxin contamination. Besides a field-to-fork approach, MyToolBox also considers safe use options of contaminated batches, such as the efficient production of biofuels. Compared to previous efforts of mycotoxin reduction strategies, the distinguishing feature of MyToolBox is to provide the recommended measures to the end users along the food and feed chain in a web-based MyToolBox platform (e-toolbox). The project focuses on small grain cereals, maize, peanuts and dried figs, applicable to agricultural conditions in the EU and China. Crop losses using existing practices are being compared with crop losses after novel pre-harvest interventions including investigation of genetic resistance to fungal infection, cultural control (e.g. minimum tillage or crop debris treatment), the use of novel biopesticides suitable for organic farming, competitive biocontrol treatment and development of novel modelling approaches to predict mycotoxin contamination. Research into post-harvest measures includes real-time monitoring during storage, innovative sorting of crops using vision-technology, novel milling technology and studying the effects of baking on mycotoxins at an industrial scale.

Short inventory of EU legislation on plant toxins in food

Plant toxins, secondary metabolites that are not essential for the survival of the organism itself but are toxic to human health, are produced by many plants. Plant toxins can be present as inherent metabolites in daily foods such as potatoes, herbs and spices or in herbal preparations. Plant toxins can be present as contaminants in foods as a result of unintentionally co-harvested weeds, transfer from feed to products of animal origin, or as residue after application of plant toxins as natural pesticides. Incidents with plant toxins are reported in Europe, mainly as a result of mixing-up of plant species used in herbal remedies or similarities between edible crops and certain weeds. EU legislation on plant toxins in food, if existing at all, is scattered over different legal acts, such as acts on contaminants, flavourings and residues. Limits for plant toxins are, furthermore, mentioned in product specifications of approved novel foods and thus related to one specific plant product. It was concluded that there is a need for a more coherent legislation on plant toxins in food in the EU to ensure consumer health.