Dietary Exposure Assessment of Aflatoxin B1 at FoodEx Level 3 vs Level 2

The aim of this study was to estimate the dietary Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) intake of the adolescent population in Cyprus at EFSA FoodEx1⁽¹⁾ Level 3 and Level 2, to compare these exposure estimates with the BMDL₁₀ intake value of 0.17 μg/kg b.w. per day for carcinogenicity in animals and to calculate the contribution rate of the major food groups to the AFB1 exposure.

AFB1 occurrence data in food (n=1231) for 2005-2013 were used. The consumption data were obtained from the Child Health Database for adolescents 11-15 years of age, which was created in 2003 in Cyprus.

The ImproRisk model has been upgraded for refinement purposes:

• ImproRisk version 1.4 BETA calculates the exposure using occurrence data at FoodEx Level 2.
• The upgraded v. 1.4.1 BETA estimates the intake at Level 3.

This study presents the refined estimation of the exposure of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) , at FoodEx Level 3.

The mean and 95^th percentile dietary intake values, based on mean AFB1 concentrations, were 0.001 & 0.002 μg/kg b.w. per day for FoodEx Level 2, and  0.0007 & 0.0013 μg/kg b.w. per day for FoodEx Level 3, respectively. These values are much lower than the BMDL₁₀ value. At the same time, the MOE values are much less than 10000, even if we take into account the BMDL₁₀ of 0.87 μg/kg b.w per day for carcinogenicity in humans, so the current levels of exposure are of public health concern. Nevertheless, MOE is just an indicative measure of risk and it does not substitute the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle.

The exposure at FoodEx Level 3 resulted in a more accurate picture in relation to the contribution of food groups to the total AFB1 intake. Specifically, the highest exposure was estimated for grains and grain-based products (50%), especially rice, followed by spices (chilli, pepper, etc.) (40%).