Risk assessment associated to the intake of the emerging Fusarium mycotoxins BEA, ENs and FUS present in infant formula of Spanish origin

Abstract

Forty-five samples of Spanish follow-up infant formula with different chemical compositions were analyzed determining the emerging Fusarium mycotoxins beauvericin (BEA), enniatins (ENs) (A, A1, B, B1), and fusaproliferin (FUS). The samples were extracted three times with ethyl acetate using an Ultra-turrax homogenizer. Mycotoxins were identified and quantified using a liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to a diode array detector (DAD). Results showed that the percentage of the samples contaminated with ENs and FUS were 46.6 and 20.0% respectively, whereas all analyzed samples were free of BEA. The ENs A and B were detected only in one sample with 149.6 and 39.4 mg/kg respectively. The ENB1 was the more detected mycotoxin with levels ranging from 11.4 to 41.9 mg/kg. The ENA1 was detected at levels ranging from 6.3 to 101.7 mg/kg. The minor Fusarium mycotoxin FUS was detected in a range variable from 0.7 to 1.7 mg/kg. Finally, dietary exposure of Spanish infants (between 6 and 12 months) to ENs, BEA and FUS, was estimated through the consumption of commercial follow-up infant formula by the calculation of the estimated daily intake (EDI). Considering the sum of the mycotoxins studied, the data evidenced that the EDI was 236.2 μg/kg bw/day.