Aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination of retail foods and intake of these mycotoxins in Japan

Abstract

A survey was undertaken of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), B₂ (AFB₂), G₁ (AFG₁), G₂ (AFG₂), ochratoxin A (OTA), and fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), B₂ (FB₂) and B₃ (FB₃) contamination of various retail foods in Japan during 2004–05. The mycotoxins were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) or high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Aflatoxins (AFs) were detected in ten of 21 peanut butter and in 22 of 44 bitter chocolate samples; the highest level of AFB₁, 2.59 µg kg⁻¹, was found in peanut butter. Aflatoxin contamination was not observed in corn products (n = 55), corn (n = 110), peanuts (n = 120), buckwheat flour (n = 23), dried buckwheat noodles (n = 59), rice (n = 83) or sesame oil (n = 20). OTA was detected in 120 out of 192 samples of oatmeal, wheat flour, rye, buckwheat flour, raw coffee, roasted coffee, raisin, beer, wine and bitter chocolate, but not in rice or corn products. OTA levels in the positive samples were below 13 µg kg⁻¹. AFs and OTA intakes through the consumption of foods containing cacao were estimated using the data for mycotoxin contamination in bitter chocolate and those for the consumption of foods containing cacao in Japan.

Keywords:

• aflatoxins
• ochratoxin A
• retailed food
• intake
• Japan
• exposure assessment
• surveillance

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by a Research Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan. The authors’ thanks also go to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Fishery, Japan, for its help in collecting food samples.