Exposure to Ochratoxin A from Rice Consumption in Lebanon and United Arab Emirates: A Comparative Study

Hassan, Hussein F.; Ghaida, Alissar Abou; Charara, Abeer; Dimassi, Hani; Faour, Hussein; Nahouli, Rayan; Karam, Layal; Alwan, Nisreen

doi:10.3390/ijerph191711074

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Only one sample (1%) in Lebanon had a level at the borderline of the European Union (EU) limit, and two samples (1.6%) in the UAE had a level above the EU limit (5 μg/kg). In our study, no significant difference was found between SKUs from Lebanon versus other countries in terms of OTA, which goes in line with the findings of 10 . In addition, average concentration of OTA in our study was 1.2 μg/kg, which is close similar to the one reported by 10 .…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

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Assessment of mycotoxins in cornflakes marketed in Lebanon

Hassan,

Awada,

Dimassi

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Cornflakes are a popular and convenient breakfast cereal made from corn and widely consumed worldwide, including in Lebanon. However, they are susceptible to mycotoxin contamination, which can have harmful effects on human health. Our study evaluated the occurrence of five mycotoxins (AFB1, OTA, FUM, ZEA, DON) levels in packed cornflakes marketed in Lebanon. A market screening identified 35 different cornflake stock-keeping units (SKU) in the Lebanese market, originating from 10 different brands and having different tastes and shapes. SKUs were collected and tested for five mycotoxins in triplicates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. The results showed the presence of the five mycotoxins in the samples. The average levels of AFB1, OTA, ZEA and FUM among positive samples (above limit of detection) were 1.58, 1.2, 15.1 and 774.1 μg/kg, respectively, and were below the EU limits. On the other hand, the average level of DON was 1206.7 μg/kg, exceeding the EU limit. Furthermore, out of the positive samples, 60%, 17%, 9%, 14%, and 6% exceeded the EU limits for DON, OTA, AFB1, FUM, and ZEA, respectively. Notably, SKUs made in Lebanon had significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of AFB1 and FUM. The packing size of the cornflakes had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on the levels of the five mycotoxins detected in the samples. AFB1, FUM and ZEA levels differed significantly among SKUs (p > 0.05). Considering these findings, further studies should be conducted to assess the exposure to mycotoxins from the consumption of cornflakes in Lebanon, especially among children.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…In our study, no significant difference was found between SKUs from Lebanon versus other countries in terms of OTA, which goes in line with the findings of 10 . In addition, average concentration of OTA in our study was 1.2 μg/kg, which is close similar to the one reported by 10 .…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Assessment of mycotoxins in cornflakes marketed in Lebanon

Hassan,

Awada,

Dimassi

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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“…In addition, food safety in Lebanon has been at stake in the last decade due to poor control from the inspection authorities [ 36 ]. In fact, previous studies conducted in Lebanon mainly investigated the presence of mycotoxins in herbs, spices, rice, wheat, and infant formulas, among others, but not including tea, which is a frequently consumed beverage in Lebanon [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. Compared to the aforementioned studies from Lebanon, the prevalence of mycotoxins in tea in this study is lower than what was reported in other food products (human milk, dairy products, rice, and spices).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Tea Sold in Lebanon: Effects of Type, Packaging, and Origin

Hassan,

Tashani,

Ballouk

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Tea is among the oldest and most-known beverages around the world, and it has many flavors and types. Tea can be easily contaminated in any of its production steps, especially with mycotoxins that are produced particularly in humid and warm environments. This study aims to examine the level of ochratoxin A (OTA) and total aflatoxin (AF) contamination in black and green tea sold in Lebanon, evaluate its safety compared to international standards, and assess the effect of different variables on the levels of OTA and AFs. For this, the Lebanese market was screened and all tea brands (n = 37; 24 black and 13 green) were collected twice. The Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay (ELISA) method was used to determine OTA and AFs in the samples. AFs and OTA were detected in 28 (75.7%) and 31 (88.6%) samples, respectively. The average of AFs in the positive (above detection limit: 1.75 μg/kg) samples was 2.66 ± 0.15 μg/kg, while the average of OTA in the positive (above detection limit: 1.6 μg/kg) samples was 3.74 ± 0.72 μg/kg. The mean AFs in black and green tea were 2.65 ± 0.55 and 2.54 ± 0.40 μg/kg, respectively, while for OTA, the mean levels were 3.67 ± 0.96 and 3.46 ± 1.09 μg/kg in black and green tea samples, respectively. Four brands (10.8%) contained total aflatoxin levels above the EU limit (4 μg/kg). As for OTA, all samples had OTA levels below the Chinese limit (5 μg/kg). No significant association (p > 0.05) was found between OTA and tea type, level of packaging, country of origin, country of packing, and country of distribution. However, AF contamination was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in unpacked tea, and in brands where the country of origin, packing, and distributor was in Asia. The results showed that the tea brands in Lebanon are relatively safe in terms of AFs and OTA.

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“…Although there are more than 300 discovered mycotoxins, 30 of them are the most significant and commonly detected in food, including aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxins (OTs), fumonisins (FBs), patulin, zearalenone (ZEN) and trichothecenes. These mycotoxins can naturally contaminate feed and food products, such as nuts, cereals, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and coffee beans, and can be detected in animal products, such as meat, milk and eggs, if the animals have consumed contaminated feed [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary Exposure and Risk Assessment of Multi-Mycotoxins (AFB1, AFM1, OTA, OTB, DON, T-2 and HT-2) in the Lebanese Food Basket Consumed by Adults: Findings from the Updated Lebanese National Consumption Survey through a Total Diet Study Approach

Hoteit,

Abbass,

Daou

et al. 2024

Toxins

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Mycotoxins have been linked to adverse health impacts, including liver cancer and kidney diseases. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the dietary exposure of Lebanese adults to multi-mycotoxins (aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), ochratoxin A (OTA), ochratoxin B (OTB), deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 and HT-2) and to assess their associated health risks. Hence, a nationally representative sample of 449 participants aged 18-64 years old were interviewed to obtain their socio-demographic characteristics, food consumption data and exposure estimates. A food frequency questionnaire and 24 h-recall were used to collect data. The concentration of mycotoxins in all foods consumed by the participants was collected from previous national published studies. The estimated daily intake (EDI), the hazard quotient (HQ) and the margin of exposure (MOE) were calculated. The total exposure to AFB1, AFM1, OTA and DON was 1.26, 0.39, 4.10 and 411.18 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. The MOE to AFB1, AFM1, OTA and DON in the Lebanese food basket was 316, 1454, 3539 and 510, respectively, indicating high health-related risks. Per food items, the MOE to AFB1 was below 10,000 in cereals (466.5), mainly in rice (827.9) and Burgul (4868.5). Similarly, the MOE to OTA in cereals was 1439, in which bread (4022), rice (7589) and bulgur (7628) were considered unsafe. Moreover, the MOE to DON in cereals (605) is alarming, especially in bread (632) and manakesh (6879). The MOE to AFM1 in dairy products was 1454, indicating health-related risks with a focus on yogurt (9788) and labneh (8153). As for the herbs/spices group and traditional dishes, the MOE to AFB1 was relatively lower than 10,000 (3690 and 1625, respectively), with a focus on thyme (2624) and kishik (3297), respectively. It is noteworthy that the MOE to DON and the MOE to OTA in traditional foods and coffee were lower than 10,000 (8047 and 8867, respectively). All hazard quotient (HQ) values were below 1, except the HQ value of milk and dairy products (1.96). The intake of some food groups varied between age categories, corresponding to differences in EDI between them. Thus, it is essential to put control measures in place to decrease the contamination and exposure to mycotoxins by Lebanese consumers.

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Exposure to Ochratoxin A from Rice Consumption in Lebanon and United Arab Emirates: A Comparative Study

Cited by 8 publications

References 35 publications

Assessment of mycotoxins in cornflakes marketed in Lebanon

Assessment of mycotoxins in cornflakes marketed in Lebanon

Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Tea Sold in Lebanon: Effects of Type, Packaging, and Origin

Dietary Exposure and Risk Assessment of Multi-Mycotoxins (AFB1, AFM1, OTA, OTB, DON, T-2 and HT-2) in the Lebanese Food Basket Consumed by Adults: Findings from the Updated Lebanese National Consumption Survey through a Total Diet Study Approach

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