Assessment of risk from exposure to aflatoxins resulting from consumption of maize-based and dry and dried fruit-based products

Italian National Committee for Food Safety (CNSA) opinion of 23 MARCH 2020 on Assessment of risk from exposure to aflatoxins resulting from consumption of maize-based and dry and dried fruit-based products Mycotoxins are important food contaminants of fungoid origin. Among mycotoxins, aflatoxins represent the most relevant class, both for their intrinsic toxicity and their presence in food products, national as well as imported: it is likely that their presence is augmenting as a result of climate change. The main aflatoxin, aflatoxin B1, classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans (group 1), can be significantly present in dry and dried fruit and maize-based products. The Food Safety Section of CNSA has analysed the national situation, based on contamination incidence data from 2016-2018 official controls and on the available consumption data, and has found that the estimated exposure levels, as regards the presence of aflatoxins B1 in samples of maize-based and dry and dried fruit-based products, deserve adequate attention, particularly with respect to children and adolescents. Therefore, the Food Safety Section recommends continuing and strengthening aflatoxin prevention and control activities throughout the food chain and providing useful information to consumers in order to minimize the exposure to aflatoxins during household food preparation.IT; it; pdf; o.pinto@sanita.i