Dietary aflatoxins and human liver cancer. II. Aflatoxins in market foods and foodstuffs of Thailand and Hong Kong

Abstract

Among more than 2000 samples of market foods and foodstuffs collected in Thailand, representing some 170 different human foods, peanut products were the most frequently and most highly contaminated with aflatoxins. Dried corn, millet, wheat, barley, Job's tear seeds and dried chili peppers also were frequently contaminated, although concentrations were markedly less. The frequency and extent of contamination of Thai foodstuffs showed geographical distributions and followed seasonal trends. Beans of various strains were the chief source of aflatoxin in the Hong Kong foodstuffs examined. In general, aflatoxin contamination in Hong Kong was less frequent and at lower levels than that in Thailand. Rice, the staple food in both areas, was seldom contaminated and then only at low levels. The results of this study provided the basis upon which Thai populations were selected to measure directly the amounts of aflatoxins ingested in food.