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Our study aimed to evaluate the AFB1 levels in packed rice marketed in Lebanon and determine the exposure to this toxin from the rice consumption. A total of 105 packed white, parboiled and brown rice bags were collected. ELISA was used to measure AFB1. A comprehensive FFQ was filled by 500 participants to determine the patterns of rice consumption and subsequently the exposure levels to AFB1 from the rice consumption in Lebanon. AFB1 was detected in all rice samples (100%). The average concentration ± standard deviation of AFB1 was 0.5±0.3μg/kg. Contamination ranged between 0.06 and 2.08μg/kg. Moisture content in all rice samples was below the recommended percentage (14%). Only 1% of the samples had an AFB1 level above the European Union (EU) limit (2μg/kg). Brown rice had a significantly higher AFB1 level than white and parboiled rice (p=0.02), while a significant difference was found between both collections for the same brands (p=0.016). Packing season, packing country, country of origin, presence of a food safety management certification, grain size, and time between packing and purchasing had no significant effect. Exposure to AFB1 from rice consumption in Lebanon was calculated as 0.1-2 ng/kg bodyweight/day.

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Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a salient metabolite that can be used to assess Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure in humans and animals. The carcinogenic potency of AFB1 and AFM1 was severely reported. The aims of this study were (1) to survey the contamination level of AFM1 in the most traded infant powdered formula brands (IPF) (n = 42) along with the AFB1 level in under 5’s children food brands (biscuits, cornflakes, and cereals) (n = 42) and (2) to assess the estimated daily intake (EDI), the hazard quotient (HQ) and the margin of exposure (MOE) of AFM1 among infants (0–12 months) in Lebanon. All of the samples were analyzed using ELISA technique. AFB1 was below detection limit in all of the children’s food brands samples. Out of 42 IPF samples 9.5% were AFM1-positive in the range of 29.54–140.16 ng/L and exceeded the maximum tolerable limit (MTL) set by the European commission (25 ng/kg). The overall average contamination level was 5.72 ± 0.014 ng/L. The EDI of AMF1 for male was in the range of 0.37–0.78 ng/kg/b.w./day and 0.40–0.87 ng/kg/b.w./day for females. Similarly, the HQ calculation resulted in an average of 3.05 for males and 3.28 for females. MOE calculations were far lower from 10,000 in both genders which indicates a high risk of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Despite that, AFM1′s EDI and HQ scored low among Lebanese infants but unambiguously the risk characterization still substantial. As infants consume more IPF relative to their body weight, the persistence of IPF with high AFM1 levels threatens their health. Thus, infant’s exposure risk to AFM1 in IPF should be a continuous focus of attention.

Aspergilluss sp. is a fungi that attack crops on the field or during storage. Generally, those fungi are most frequent in tropical and subtropical regions where environmental factors characterized by high humidity and temperatures are favorable for their production. Aflatoxins are produced as their secondary metabolites including aflatoxin B1. Aflatoxins have been classified as carcinogenic to human by the International Agency for Research on Cancer due to their profound health effects, mainly, hepatocarcinogenicity. Hence, they contaminate a large share of the global food chain. Traditionally, aflatoxin contamination was not frequent in temperate regions such as the Mediterranean, however, with climate change patterns including elevated temperatures, increased humidity, and increased droughts, a shift in fungal attack patterns is expected in such areas in a way that favors Aspergillus sp. infestation and aflatoxin contamination. Therefore, with increased global warming more aflatoxin contamination is expected in the Mediterranean basin, specifically, the Sothern European countries.

BackgroundAflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A are mycotoxins produced by filamentous fungi that attack crops on field and storage. Both mycotoxins present a risk on public health since aflatoxin B1 is a hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic agent while ochratoxin A can be nephrotoxic. Those mycotoxins can be found in several food items including spices, herbs, and nuts.ObjectivesIn Lebanon, few studies address aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A contamination in spices, herbs, and nuts. So, the aim of this study is to investigate the concentrations of those two mycotoxins particularly in spices and herbs and the concentration of aflatoxin B1 in nuts, and to determine the dietary exposure of the Lebanese population and their possible attribution to liver cancer and renal damage.MethodsIn this work, a total of 198 samples of spices, herbs, and nuts were collected from different sites. Aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A were quantified using immune-affinity columns. A food frequency questionnaire was used to quantify the consumption of spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon. Exposure to aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A was calculated accordingly and liver and kidney cancer risks were evaluated.ResultsAflatoxin B1 was respectively found in 100, 20.4, and 98.6% of the spices, herbs, and nuts samples, while ochratoxin A was found in 100 and 44.4% of spices and herbs, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 was found at mean concentration of 0.97, 0.27, and 0.40 μg/kg in spices, herbs, and nuts, respectively while ochratoxin A was found at mean concentrations of 38.8 and 1.81 μg/kg in spices and herbs, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 occurrence was shown to be associated in this study with 0.017 additional cancer cases per 100,000 persons per year, and ochratoxin A weekly exposure was shown to be 5.04 ng/kg bw less than the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake of 100 ng/kg bw which indicates low risk of renal damage from spices and herbs consumption.ConclusionThe consumption of spices, herbs, and nuts in Lebanon could lead to an increase in health risks associated with aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A, specifically spices. The reported occurrence may be directly related to poor storage conditions.

The emergence, persistence, and spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes is a tremendous public health threat that is considered nowadays a critical One Health issue. In Lebanon, the consumption of raw bovine milk has been recently reported as a result of the financial crisis. The objectives of the current study were (1) to evaluate raw bovine milk samples in a comprehensive manner for the types of antibiotics used and their residues, (2) to determine the presence of mesophilic bacteria, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and (3) to determine the associated human health risk caused by drinking raw milk with antibiotic residues among all age categories. LC-MS-MS was used to carry out the analysis. From 200 milk samples, 30 (15%) were found contaminated with four major antibiotics. The highest average concentration detected was for oxytetracyline 31.51 ± 13.23 μg/kg, followed by 5.5 ± 0.55 μg/kg for gentamicin, 4.56 ± 0.73 μg/kg for colistin, and 4.44 ± 0.89 μg/kg for tylosin. The mean contamination among most samples was below the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Upon comparison with the acceptable daily intake (ADI), the estimated daily intake (EDI) across all age groups was acceptable. The hazard quotient (HQ) was also below 1 across all age groups, signifying the absence of associated health risks for the Lebanese consumers. On the other hand, all milk samples were found exceeding the maximum tolerable value of mesophilic flora. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) were detected and represented by ESBL-producing E. coli and MRSA isolates. Thus, the greatest threat of antibiotic use in Lebanon does not fall under antibiotic residues but rather the proliferation of antibiotic resistance in potentially pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the virulence profile of detected bacteria was not investigated; thus their pathogenicity remains unknown. Therefore, to mitigate this health threat in Lebanon, a “One Health” action plan against ABR is required. It will provide a framework for continued, more extensive action to reduce the emergence and spread of ABR in Lebanon.