Occurrence and risk assessment of zearalenone through broa consumption, typical maize bread from Portugal
Highlights
- •
- Different Portuguese maize bread, broa, was investigated for zearalenone.
- •
- A higher contamination frequency was observed in samples with maize and wheat.
- •
- The ZEA levels in broa were not totally suitable with regard to the EU legislation.
- •
- There is no concern about intake of ZEA through its consumption by adult population.
Abstract
The occurrence of zearalenone (ZEA) in maize bread, broa,
for human consumption, from the Portuguese market, was evaluated. Good
analytical performance was obtained through extraction with
acetonitrile:water (90:10), clean-up with immunoaffinity columns, and
detection and quantification by liquid chromatograph with-tandem mass
spectrometry. ZEA levels were determined in 52 samples to verify the
compliance with the maximum permitted levels by the European
legislation. One broa sample exceeded the maximum limit
established. A higher contamination frequency was observed in samples in
which maize and wheat were present. Overall, 13.5% of the samples were
contaminated, at levels oscillating between 9.6 and 50.4 μg/kg.
Considering the percentage of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) obtained,
0.6%, the risk assessment linked with the exposure to ZEA was
considered very low for the studied population. This is the first study
on the intake assessment of ZEA through maize bread consumption in
Portugal.
Keywords
- Zearalenone;
- Maize bread;
- Risk assessment;
- Portuguese population
- Corresponding
author. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências
da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal. Tel.:
+351 239488477; fax: +351 239488503.
Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
