Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee On Food Additives Research Articles

Accumulation of potentially toxic elements in fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) and black pomfret (Parastromateus niger) from Selangor, Malaysia.

The accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has raised public awareness due to harmful contamination to both human and marine creatures. This study was designed to determine the concentration of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) in the intestine, kidney, muscle, gill, and liver tissues of local commercial edible fish, fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum), and black pomfret (Parastromateus niger) collected from Morib (M) and Kuala Selangor (KS). Among the studied PTEs, Cu and Zn were essential elements to regulate body metabolism with certain dosages required while Cd and Ni were considered as non-essential elements that posed chronic and carcinogenic risk. The concentration of PTEs in fish tissue samples was analyzed using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS). By comparing the concentration of PTEs in fish tissues as a bioindicator, the environmental risk of Morib was more serious than Kuala Selangor because both fish species collected from Morib resulted in a higher PTEs concentration. For an average 62kg adult with a fish ingestion rate (FIR) of 0.16kg/person/day in Malaysia, the estimated weekly intake (EWI) of Cd from the consumption of E. tetradactylum (M: 0.0135mg/kg; KS: 0.0134mg/kg) and P. niger (M: 0.0140mg/kg; KS: 0.0132mg/kg) had exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (Cd: 0.007mg/kg) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and oral reference dose (ORD) values of Cd (0.001mg/kg/day) as provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regional screening level, thus it posed chronic risks for daily basis consumption. Besides, the value of the carcinogenic risk of Cd (0.7-3 to 0.8-3) and Ni (0.5-3 to 0.6-3) were in between the acceptable range (10-6 to 10-4) of the health index that indicates a relatively low possibility cancer occurrence to the consumers in both Morib and Kuala Selangor. This study recommended FIR to be 0.80kg/person/day to reduce the possibility of posing chronic and carcinogenic risks while at the same time obtaining the essential nutrients from the fish.

Looking for Fusarium Resistance in Oats: An Update

In recent years, an increase of interest has arisen in oats due to their unique health-related properties. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is recognized as a major threat to oat production and safety. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) assesses the risks of the presence of Fusarium-produced mycotoxins in foods and the tolerable intake level. This paper summarizes updates on Fusarium resistance in oats, describing the advances in phenotyping strategies and diagnostics methods and discussing the role of the infection process of the microbiome and bioactive compounds peculiar to oats. A special emphasis has been placed on the presentation of new genetic, genomic, and biotechnological knowledge and tools available today and their perspectives on breeding programs aiming to develop FHB-resistant genotypes.

Dietary exposure and risk characterization of selected toxic metals in crude palm oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) from six states in Niger Delta, Nigeria

The increase in toxic metal (TM) contamination in crude palm oil (CPO) due to anthropogenic activities, method of processing and handling makes it necessary to assess the contents of metals of toxicological interest to ensure safety. The contents of TMs [lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and arsenic (As)] were quantified in CPO samples locally produced from six selected states in Niger Delta, Nigeria using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The TM contents and dietary intakes were compared with permitted limits of international agencies such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The TM contents exceeded the permissible limits of JECFA with Cr in Akwa Ibom State samples (3.08 mg kg-1) being the highest. The dietary monthly intake of Cd for consumption of 25 g day-1 of CPO for adults and children were 40.36 µg kg-bw-1 month-1 (161%) and 91.6 µg kg-bw-1 month-1 (366%), respectively. The margin of exposure (MOE) values of Pb due to consumption of CPO ranged from 1.39 to 3.83 (nephrotoxic effects) and 3.32 to 9.12 (cardiotoxic effects) for adults, and 0.49 to 1.34 (neurotoxic effect), 0.61 to 1.69 (nephrotoxic effects) and 0.61 to 4.01 (cardiotoxic effects) for children. Furthermore, MOE values of inorganic arsenic (iAs) for carcinogenic effects due to consumption of CPO for adults and children ranged from 0.32 to 26.53 and 0.14 to 11.69, respectively. The results highlight the necessity to set up monitoring program for TMs in CPO to reduce exposure level.

Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in dried fruits from Morocco: Monitoring, regulatory aspects, and exposure assessment

The present study aims to investigate the presence of Aflatoxins (AF) in 180 samples dried fruits and Ochratoxin A (OTA) in 210 samples dried fruits and grape juices collected in Morocco. Mycotoxins were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection and immunoaffinity columns (IAC) cleanup. Contamination levels were compared with the maximum regulatory limits (MRL) recently adopted in the country, and mycotoxin exposure of adult consumers was assessed. Results showed that 13.8% of samples were contaminated with AF, with incidences of 23.3, 23.3, 20, 13.8, and 3.3%, in raisins, figs, nuts, peanuts and pistachio, respectively. There were 12 samples (6.6%) that exceeded the MRL of 2–12 ng/g set for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). While OTA was detected in 17.1% of samples, with incidences of 3.3, 3.3, 30, 30, and 53.3% in walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, raisins and figs, respectively, and a maximum value of 99.1 in dried raisins, that exceeded the MRL (10 ng/g) set for OTA. The co-occurrence of OTA and AF was observed in 4.7% of total samples. Dietary intake showed that the OTA exposure level was lower than safety guidelines set by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) at 100 ng/kg b.w./week.

Dietary Exposure to Glutamates of 2- to 5-Year-Old Toddlers in China Using the Duplicate Diet Method.

A duplicate diet collection method was used to estimate dietary exposure to glutamates in children aged 2-5 years in selected provinces of China. Daily duplicate diet samples were collected from 86 healthy toddlers over three consecutive days. Glutamates were analyzed using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-MS/MS (UHPLC-MS/MS). Results showed that the highest glutamates content was found in mixed meals, at 5.12 mg/kg, followed by powdered formula (3.89 mg/kg), and milk and dairy products (2.29 mg/kg). The total mean daily dietary exposure for subjects was 0.20 mg/kg BW, and P95 daily dietary exposure was 0.44 mg/kg BW, both below the acceptable daily intake (ADI) (120 mg/kg BW) recommended by the Joint (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the ADI (30 mg/kg BW) set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Hence it can be considered that glutamates exposure would cause low risk in this group.

A new JECFA method for GC-MS determination of propylene chlorohydrine residues in hydroxypropylated starches.

Propylene chlorohydrins (PCH) are formed as byproducts in the reaction between starch and propylene oxide (PO). For hydroxypropylated starch (HP-starch) applications in food, JECFA set the maximum allowed total propylene chlorohydrin (PHC-t) residues level at 1 mg/kg. To develop an improved analytical method for the determination of the PCH-t content in starches in the low mg/kg range to replace the outdated JECFA method. A new GC-MS method that utilizes aqueous methanol as extraction medium for PCH. The GC-MS system is equipped with a programmable temperature vaporization injector and Stabilwax-DA column using helium as carrier gas. The quantitative detection is achieved in the selected ion monitoring mode. This single laboratory validation (SLV) study showed good linear calibrations for both 1-chloro-2-propanol (PCH-1) and 2-chloro-1-propanol (PCH-2) in the concentration range of 0.5-4 mg/kg in dry starch. The lower limit of quantitation of PCH-1 and PCH-2 was 0.2-0.3 mg/kg in dry starch, the relative standard deviation reproducibility (RSDR) at the concentration level of 1-2 mg/kg in dry starch was 3-5%, and the recovery values for both PCH-1 and PCH-2 were in the range of 78-112% at a concentration level of about 0.6 mg/kg in dry starch.Compared with the current, outdated JECFA method, the new GC-MS method is more sustainable, less laborious and therefore more economical. The analytical capacity of the new method is 4-5 times higher than the analytical capacity of the old JECFA method. The GC-MS method is fit for a Multi Laboratory Trial (MLT). Based on the results of this SLV and the MLT (will be published in a second paper), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has recently decided to replace the outdated GC-FID JECFA method for the new GC-MS method for the determination of PCH-t content in starches.

Risk assessment of lead and cadmium concentrations in hen's eggs using Monte Carlo simulations.

The hen egg is one of the main sources of cheap, great quality, and nutritious food. This study aimed at determining the level of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in hen eggs and at assessing the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks caused by the consumption of hen eggs collected in Iran. A total of 42 hen eggs from 17 major brands were randomly sampled from supermarkets. Lead and cadmium concentrations were determined by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Additionally, using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method to calculate dietary exposure, target hazard quotient (THQ), and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), the related human health risk associated with ingesting these hazardous metals for adults was evaluated. The average Pb and Cd concentrations in whole eggs were 7.16 ± 0.248, and 2.83 ± 0.151 μg kg-1, respectively, which were less than the maximum permitted levels, established by FAO/WHO and the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI). Pb and Cd concentrations were significantly correlated at the 0.05 level (r=0.350). Regarding the levels of Pb and Cd in eggs, overall, the estimated weekly intake (EWI) of these metals for adults by egg consumption was determined 0.014 and 0.007 mg/week, respectively, which were lower than the risk values suggested. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic indexes of Cd and Pb indicated that the adult population in Iran was safe (THQ Pb and Cd <1, ILCR <10-6 Pb). It should be emphasized that this research primarily focuses on egg consumption, which may account for a relatively small portion of Iranian consumers' overall exposure to Pb and Cd. Therefore, a comprehensive study on the risk assessment of these metals through whole-diet foods is recommended. The findings showed that lead and cadmium levels in all evaluated eggs were suitable for human consumption. Adults' Pb and Cd exposure from eating eggs was significantly lower than the risk levels established by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), per the exposure assessment. According to the THQ values of these dangerous metals, which were below one value, egg eating by Iranian consumers does not present a non-carcinogenic risk. In addition, this finding provides accurate and reliable information for policymakers to improve food safety status to reduce public health hazards.

Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition of Mahewu (a Southern African Fermented Food Product) Derived from White and Yellow Maize (Zea mays) with Different Inocula

Mahweu is an important indigenous beverage for many low-income and undernourished consumers in southern Africa. As a result, the nutritional and phytochemical profile of mahewu samples (obtained using optimized fermentation and boiling conditions from a previous study) as well as their related raw materials (white and yellow maize) were investigated. At these conditions, white and yellow maize mahewu (WM and YM) were prepared utilizing various inocula including sorghum malt, wheat, millet malt, or maize malt, and the pH, titratable acidity (TTA), total soluble solid (TSS), and proximate analysis were determined. The mineral content, amino acid composition, and phenolic compound profile were also investigated using inductive coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS), respectively. Fermentation was observed to have influenced the proximate composition of obtained mahewu samples compared to the raw flour with significant (p ≤ 0.05) improvement in protein from 8.59 to 9.7% (YM) and 8.78 to 9% (WM) as well as carbohydrate from 72.27 to 74.47% (YM) and 71.15 to 72.65% (WM). Sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, copper, and zinc were the minerals detected in the mahewu samples, while potassium was the most abundant mineral, having values ranging from 3051.61 to 3283.38 mg/kg (YM) and 2882.11 to 3129.97 mg/kg (WM). Heavy metals detected in this study were all below the recommended tolerable levels by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Arginine and leucine with values ranging from 0.47 to 0.52 g/100 g (YM) and 0.48 to 0.53 g/100 g (WM) as well as 0.91 to 1.04 g/100 g (YM) and 0.95 to 1.01 g/100 g (WM), respectively, were the most abundant essential amino acids, whereas for non-essential amino acids, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine, and proline were observed to be abundant. Based on the different inocula, the derived mahewu samples prepared using either white or yellow maize have varying nutritional and health beneficial components and the choice of inocula might still be determined by consumer preference.

Low- and no-calorie sweetener intakes from beverages – an up-to-date assessment in four regions: Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States

The current assessment estimated exposure to four low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) (aspartame, acesulfame potassium (AceK), steviol glycosides and sucralose) from beverages in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the United States, using up-to-date nationally representative consumption data and industry reported-use level information. Two modelling scenarios were applied – the probabilistic model was guided by reported use level data, with estimated intake for an individual leveraging market-weighted average use level of a particular LNCS in any given LNCS-sweetened beverage type, while the distributional (brand-loyal) model assumed consumer behaviour-led patterns, namely that an individual will be brand loyal to a pre-determined beverage type. Consumer-only and general population intake estimates were derived for the overall population and individual age categories, and compared to the respective acceptable daily intake (ADI) as established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for each LNCS. The mean, 90th percentile and 95th percentile intake estimates were substantially lower than the ADI in both modelling scenarios, regardless of the population group or market. In the probabilistic model, the highest consumer-only intake was observed for AceK in Brazilian adolescents (95th percentile, 12.4% of the ADI), while the highest 95th percentile intakes in the distributional model were observed for sucralose in Canadian adults at 20.9% of the ADI. This study provides the latest insights into current intakes of LNCS from water-based non-alcoholic LNCS-sweetened beverages in these regions, aligning well with those published elsewhere.

Concentration of ochratoxin A in coffee products and probabilistic health risk assessment

Coffee is a beverage that people enjoy a lot in their daily lives and is an integral part of people's social life. In this study, the detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) in coffee was carried out by High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence (HPLC-FLD) detectors. Furthermore, the amount of ochratoxin A (OTA), Margin of exposure (MOEs), and Hazard quotient (HQ) in different types of coffees; instant, classic, and roasted coffee were calculated using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The average OTA concentration was in the rage of 3.6 to 26.6 µg/kg. The content of classic and instant coffee found to have.OTA, is below the maximum limit defined by the European Union legislation. The maximum limit for these two types of coffee is 10 µg/kg. The daily intakes of the OTA through classic and instant coffee were also found to be lower than the Tolerance daily intake proposed by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). MOEs (neoplastic effect) in adults was classic coffee (171026) > roasted coffee (15390) > instant coffee (8549) and also MOEs (non-neoplastic effects) in children was classic coffee (55790) > roasted coffee (5020) > instant coffee (2789). Consumers of instant coffee are at cancer risk based on neoplastic effects and also consumers of instant coffee and roasted coffee are at cancer risk based on non-neoplastic effects (MOEs lower than 10,000 value). HQ (nephrotoxic effect) in adults was instant coffee (0.132) > roasted coffee (0.097) > classic coffee (0.012). HQ due to consumption of coffee products was lower than 1, hence consumers are at safe non-cancer risk. Therefore, it is recommended reducing the concentration of mycotoxins in coffee products.

China national food safety standards of cadmium in staple foods: Issues and thinking

<p indent="0mm">Cadmium (Cd), as a class one carcinogen, is easily transferred from soil to the food chain, representing a potential threat to human health. Rapid industrialization in China during the last three decades has caused widespread contamination in agricultural soils. As a result, a considerable proportion of the rice grain in some areas of southern China has concentrations of Cd exceeding the Chinese food safety standard. This problem has raised a widespread concern regarding food safety and brought a big debate in China about whether the current food safety standard is reasonable. The food safety standard of Cd is not only critical for assessing soil environmental quality, but also important to reduce the current elevated dietary Cd intake for the general population. In this perspective, we summarize the history of establishment and revision in Chinese food safety standards of Cd in staple foods and discuss whether the current Cd safety limits for both rice and wheat are reasonable in terms of the tolerable limit for dietary Cd intake, dietary pattern, the current exposure level of Cd for the general pollution, and social-economic and international trading factors. The dietary Cd intake for the general population has doubled over the last <sc>25 years,</sc> from <sc>13.8 μg/d</sc> in 1990 to <sc>32.7 μg/d</sc> in 2011–2015, with the latter being approximately 61% of the provisional tolerable intake recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The growing body of evidence suggests no safe Cd intake limit for human health and consequently, dietary intake of Cd should be reduced as much as possible. The milling (i.e., polishing) process has an uncertain effect on change in Cd concentration in polished rice compared to the brown rice because of the uncertainty of the Cd spatial distribution pattern in rice grain. Furthermore, polished rice has higher bioavailability of Cd to humans than brown rice. These differences should be considered when extrapolating the food safety standard between brown rice and polished rice. According to the current exposure level and risk of Cd through consumption of rice, we contend that the current food safety limit for rice grain <sc>(0.2 mg/kg)</sc> in China is lenient for both the southern and northern general populations. It is unadvisable to be looser in further revisions of Chinese food safety standards. For wheat grain, the current safety limit <sc>(0.1 mg/kg)</sc> is reasonable for the northern population but strict for the southern population. Given the current contamination status and national food security and safety, the principle of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) should be applied to guild the amendment of the national food safety standard of Cd. There are several scientific perspectives to be further studied. First, epidemiological studies are required to establish the tolerable intake limit suitable to the Chinese ethnic characteristics and dietary patterns. Second, the new food safety standard should consider the subgroup populations with high Cd exposure risk, including infants, children, and local farmers who mainly consume home-grown rice with elevated Cd concentrations in Cd-contaminated regions. To reduce Cd exposure to the local population, effective mitigation strategies include exchanging high Cd home-grown rice with low Cd rice and increasing dietary nutrients and human nutrition.

The Toxicological Safety Assessment of Heavy Metal Impurities (As, Pb, and Cd) in Mint Tea Infusions (Mentha piperita L.) Available in Polish Markets.

Mint tea (Mentha piperita L.) is one of the most widely consumed single infusion herbal teas (infusion) around the world; however, impurities and pollutants can pose a potential health risk to human health during tea drinking. The idea of this study was the comprehensive toxicological risk assessment (TRA) of three heavy metals (As, Pb, and Cd) in mint tea infusions (Mentha piperita L.; n = 17) available in Polish markets. We applied an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)-based methodology for the determination of the chosen heavy metals and designed a specific TRA approach. The first step in our TRA was the determination of the elements investigated (heavy metal impurity profile, µg/L of infusion). The second step was the estimation of the weekly intake (µg/L of infusion/week) based on the weekly consumption of tea. The third step was the estimation of the weekly intake per body weight (µg/L of infusion/week/bw) based on the weekly consumption of tea per adult person compared to the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The level of investigated heavy metals occurs in all of the investigated mint tea infusions but at a relatively low level. The heavy metal profile indicated presence of As (0.36-1.254µg/L), Pb (0.47-1.24µg/L), and Cd (0.17-0.40µg/L) in all the samples investigated. The basic analysis of the general content shows that As levels (mean = 0.70µg/L) were very similar to the Pb levels (mean = 0.72µg/L). The Cd content (mean = 0.21µg/L) was approximately 3.5 times lower than the As and Pb levels. TRA provides satisfactory results for regulatory purposes. TRA for the elements investigated in the analyzed products indicated that there was no health hazard to consumers for weekly exposure. The results indicated that the levels of investigated elements in daily doses should not represent any health hazard to the consumer after drinking mini tea infusions from products available in Polish markets. This well-designed TRA methodology was useful and important for regulatory toxicology purposes.

Food Additives: Overview of Related Safety Concerns

Food additives are the basis of the modern food industry, and play a significant role in improving the colour, aroma, and taste of food, altering its nutritional structure, perfecting its processing conditions, and extending its shelf life. The need of food additives in the food processing industries have sharply increased due to consumers’ preferences and commercial advantage they provide to the manufactured food because of longer shelf life, standardized composition and convenience in processing. Additives can be added to food directly and intentionally while indirectly, foods are exposed to them during processing, packaging, or storage Some additives are either natural or from synthetic sources and are classified into several groups, although there overlap exist between them. The use of food additives has been criticized for multiple health impacts such as cancer, asthma, allergies, and behavioral disorders in children. It is therefore important to balance the potential risks of an additive against its perceived benefits and allowing the consumer the choice of consuming or not consuming the food. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is charged with the responsibility of assessing the risks of food additives to human health and safety through the establishment of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for additives and in any case, the decision of consuming food with a particular additive is left to consumers.

Concentration Of Trace Metals In The Fresh And Fried Edible Vegetable Oils Used In The Production Of Plantain Chips In Ekiti State: Health Implications

Seven selected heavy metals namely Fe, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd and Ni in five vegetable oils used in frying plantains (fresh and fried) collected from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS) after microwave digestion. The accuracy of procedure was confirmed by certified reference materials (NIST). The relative standard deviations were found below 10%. In all the various oils (fresh and processed), the concentrations for Fe, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd and Ni were observed in the range of 0.0005 -0.0018, 0.0002 – 0.0009, 0.0004 – 0.0021, 0.0001- 0.0007, 0.0003 – 0.0016, 0.0001 – 0.006 and 0.0002-0.0010 mg/kg, respectively. In general, among all the oils, fresh palm oil (FPO had the highest concentration) for all the selected heavy metals. Comparing with safety intake levels for these heavy metals recommended by Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the dietary intakes of the seven heavy metals from daily consumption of edible vegetable oils for a 70 kg (adult) and 24 kg (children) body weight should pose no significant health risk to consumers. However, for adults and children, the THQ and HI were low. The TCR values also indicate low to moderate carcinogenic risks for adults and children.

Dietary Exposure to Aflatoxins in Some Randomly Selected Foods and Cancer Risk Estimations of Cereals Consumed on a Ghanaian Market

Aflatoxins have gained so much reputation among all mycotoxins due to their notoriety in causing countless adverse health effects on humans as well as animals. It continues to be a major concern in food safety globally. In this study, total and constitutive aflatoxins levels as well as the carcinogenic risks posed by 110 food and feed samples (55 cereals, 20 nuts and oils, 18 animal feed, and 18 fruits and vegetables) collected from the Ho Central market in the Volta region, Ghana, were assessed. Using high-performance liquid chromatography connected to a fluorescent detector (HPLC-FLD), levels of total aflatoxins (AFtotal) and aflatoxins constituents, namely, AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2, were analyzed. By using the model prescribed by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the risks posed by the food and feed samples were determined. The degrees of toxicity were in the ranges of 0.78–234.73 μg/kg, 0.47–21.6 μg/kg, 1.01–13.75 μg/kg, and 0.66–5.51 μg/kg, respectively, for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2. Out of the samples analyzed for AFtotal, about 51 (46.4%) exceeded the limits of GSA and were in the range 10.63 ± 1.20–236.28 ± 4.2 μg/kg. While for EFSA, 71 (64.54%) exceeded and ranged between 4.72 ± 0.28 and 236.28 ± 4.2 μg/kg. Furthermore, estimated daily intake (EDI) of 27.10–283.70 ng/kg·bw/day, margin of exposure (MOE) of 1.409–14.76, average potency of 0–0.00396 ng aflatoxins/kg·bw/day, and cancer risks with a range of 0.107–1.122 cases/100,000 person/yr were observed. Taken together, it could be concluded that consuming cereals pose adverse effects on human health regardless of the age of the consumer.

Aflatoxin M1 Contamination of Ghanaian Traditional Soft Cottage Cheese (Wagashie) and Health Risks Associated with Its Consumption

Wagashie is an unripened traditional cheese consumed in West Africa including Ghana. Being a milk product, it is unfortunately susceptible to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination, which is indeed a grave health challenge globally. This study evaluated AFM1 levels and health risk characterization associated with wagashie (n = 182) sampled from different locations in Ghana. AFM1 was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD). Risk assessments were also conducted using models prescribed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Out of the 182 samples analyzed for AFM1, 93/182 (51.1%) tested positive between the range 0.00 ± 0.00–3.60 ± 0.99 µg/kg. Risk assessments of AFM1 using deterministic models produced outcomes that ranged between 0.11 and 3.60 ng/kg bw/day, 0.09–1.54, 0–0.0323 ng aflatoxins/kg bw/day, and 3.5 x 10−3 −0.06 cases/100,000 person/yr for estimated daily intake (EDI), margin of exposure (MOE), average potency, and cancer risks, respectively, for the age categories investigated. It was established that the consumption of wagashie posed adverse health effects on all age categories in the selected regions of the study because all calculated MOE values were less than 100,000. Therefore, contamination of wagashie with AFM1 should be a serious public health concern and as such considered a high precedence for Ghana’s risk management actions.

Food Color Additives and Health Interaction

Colorants, which have an important place in food additives, are defined by the International Food Codex Commission as "a substance that regulates the color of food or is added to give color". The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) affiliated with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) formed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) as part of the United Nations (UN) organization, is an authority that makes suggestions and recommendations on all matters concerning the additives. Different opinions have emerged in studies evaluating food additives in terms of health risks involved. In various studies investigating colorants in foods, it has been reported that the permitted colorants are used in high amounts and also that non-permitted colorants are encountered. In various epidemiological studies, it is stated that colorants cause diseases such as asthma, hypersensitivity, skin rashes, premature childbirth, migraine, cancer, thyroid, tumor, and chromosome damage in humans.

Novel Application for Activated Carbon Pharmaceutical Formulation as an Efficient Adsorbent of Iron (III) from Contaminated Canned Food

Additional medical indication has been realized for the active carbon commercialized in pharmaceutical stores for the first time. In this study, the active carbon was used to remove iron (III) from real canned food samples contaminated with iron by an adsorption process, in a new approach. Different parameters affecting the adsorption behavior of active carbon towards iron (III) have been optimized. Under the optimized conditions, namely, pH 4, 5 h contact time, 40 ppm iron initial concentration, and 2 g carbon, the study was applied to some of the real canned food samples. Black olive and green bean canned food samples containing relatively high iron levels of 698.0 and 1168 mg kg-1, respectively, have been selected for this study due to their levels which were above the maximum permitted levels 48 mg kg-1 according to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). These samples were digested and treated, and their iron concentration was determined using ICP-AES under the specified optimum conditions. The removal percentage of the real samples was ~91%. In a novel approach, this study simulates the adsorption behavior of active carbon towards iron (III) in the human stomach when canned food with relatively high iron levels has been digested, since the pH value of the human stomach (~3) comes in good agreement with the adsorption optimized pH range (2-4). Moreover, the overall tolerability and safety of active carbon are worldwide known and traditionally documented. These application studies realize the applicability of utilizing active carbon commercially available in pharmaceutical stores to eliminate the toxicity of canned food contaminated by high levels of the investigated elements.

Risk Profiling of Methylmercury in the Consumption of Dried Tamban (Sardinella lemuru) by the Filipino Consuming Population

Methylmercury (MeHg) is one of the most toxic forms of mercury (Hg) produced via methylation of its inorganic form from natural and anthropogenic sources. Fish that feed on phytoplankton, such as sardines, serve as the entry points of MeHg in the aquatic food web. Dietary exposure (DE) to MeHg leads to varying health risks such as ataxia, neurodevelopmental delays, and blindness in newborns and infants. The study aimed to develop a risk profile on the potential risk associated with the consumption of Philippine dried tamban (Sardinella lemuru) through 1) conceptualization of the risk profile, 2) review of related literature, 3) formulation of assumptions (i.e. identification of variabilities and establishment of uncertainties or data gaps), 4) exposure pathway assessment, and 5) risk characterization. The risk of MeHg was estimated using the total mercury (THg) concentrations in dried tamban samples collected from the major fishing grounds of sardines in the Philippines, consumption data of the adult Filipino consuming population, and the assumed average body weights of Asian adults. The estimated DEs ranged from 0.000043–0.008724 μg/kg bw (bodyweight)/wk, which is equivalent to about 0.003–0.545% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 1.6 μg/kg bw for MeHg established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2007. Our findings imply that dried tamban does not pose a major health risk to the adult Filipino consuming population. However, it is also essential to note that aside from dried tamban, there are other potential sources of MeHg in the diet such as other fish and seafood.

Formation of acrylamide in microwave‐roasted sorghum and associated dietary risk

AbstractThe effect of microwave roasting parameters (300, 450 and 600 W; 5, 10 and 15 min) on acrylamide content in sorghum grain was determined using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)‐photo diode array (PDA) detector coupled with C‐18 column. Samples roasted at 300 and 450 W did not possess acrylamide, whereas 600 W (15 min) favoured formation of 2740.19 µg/kg of acrylamide, levels far exceeding the defined European Union (EU) limits. The chronic daily intake (CDI) for acrylamide through consumption of such grain flour was 3.25–9.5‐fold higher to Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) defined high exposure limits. The margin of exposure (MOE) values ranged from 4.3 to 12.76 and from 11.07 to 32.27 for neoplastic and neurological effects, respectively, demonstrating high exposure and serious health concerns associated with dietary intake of this toxicant. This study assesses the risk for the Indian population and highlights the importance of optimising process parameters for food product to minimise such exposure risks.