Estimation of the daily exposure of Koreans to aflatoxin B₁ through food consumption

Abstract

A survey for aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) was conducted on 88 food-grade rice samples randomly collected during July and August 2002 in Seoul, Korea. The presence of AFB₁ was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the positive samples from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Besides this, from the surveying data from the literature published since 1997, the intake of AFB₁ from food in Korea was calculated and compared with the provisional maximum tolerable daily intakes. Naturally occurring AFB₁ was found in 5/88 (6%) samples of rice with an average of 4.8 ng g⁻¹. A calculated probable daily intake of AFB₁ for Koreans fell into the range 1.19–5.79 ng kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹, hence exceeding the estimated provisional maximum tolerable daily intakes. In conclusion, the exposure of Koreans to AFB₁ could bring about health concerns. This is the first report discovering that rice is the major contributor to the dietary intake of AFB₁ in Korea.

Keywords:

• aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)
• dietary intakes
• Korean
• food consumption
• rice