Occurrence of zearalenone, an oestrogenic mycotoxin, in Catalonia (Spain) and exposure assessment

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the occurrence of zearalenone (ZEA) in food in Catalonia (Spain); to assess the consumption of the main food items contaminated with ZEA; and finally, to estimate the dietary exposure of the Catalonian population to the mycotoxin.Therefore 1187 samples were collected from the Catalonian market and pooled to obtain 485 analytical samples (composites) of the commodities most susceptible to ZEA contamination and commonly consumed in the region. Extraction and clean-up was performed using immunoaffinity columns and ZEA was detected and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fluorescence detection. A specific food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered to 1264 individuals by trained interviewers to estimate the consumption of the relevant foods.The results showed that the occurrence of ZEA in food marketed in Catalonia was infrequent. Sliced bread, corn snacks and sweet corn were the commodities where it was most often present. In considering the contamination levels and food consumption estimates, the dietary intake of ZEA by the Catalonian population was estimated to be considerably lower than the temporary tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 200ng ZEAkg−1bwday−1.