Fumonisins B1 and B2 in Brazilian corn-based food products

Eighty-one samples of corn products were acquired from markets and supermarkets in the city of Campinas, SP, Brazil, and were analysed for fumonsins B1 and B2 (FB1 and FB2). Forty samples (49%) were positive for FB1 (0.03-4.93 (micrograms/g) and 44 samples (54%) for FB2 (0.02-1.38 (micrograms/g). The samples, in order of decreasing contamination, were, corn meal (all contaminated, 0.56-4.93 (micrograms/g FB1), followed by degerminated corn (8/11 samples, nd-4.52 (micrograms/g FB1), corn flour (9/11 samples, nd-1.46 (micrograms/g FB1), precooked corn flour (4/6 samples, nd-1.79 (micrograms/g FB1), corn grits (2/2 samples, 0.17-1.23 (micrograms/g FB1), and popcorn (4/9 samples, nd-1.72 (micrograms/g FB1). Relatively lower incidences and levels of contamination were found in corn flakes (1/4 samples, nd-0.66 (microgram/g FB1) and corn flour baby cereal (1/2 samples, nd and 0.44 (microgram/g FB1). The samples of corn on the cob (common corn in the milky stage, 7 samples) and of the typical foods 'curau' (2 samples) and 'pamonha' (7 samples), both prepared with corn in the milky stage, did not show any detectable contamination. Canned sweet corn, also harvested in the milky stage, exhibited a very low incidence of and level of contamination (2/11 samples, nd-0.08 (microgram/g FB1). The intake of corn products is low in urban areas and in most rural areas in Brazil. In certain rural areas, however, corn products play a greater role in daily meals and the calculated intake of FB1 is higher than a proposed Tolerable Daily Intake of 800 ng/kg bw/day. This is the first report on fumonisins in Brazilian corn-based food products.