Human exposure to mycotoxins in Egypt.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Toxicology
• Public Health

Background:

• Mycotoxin contamination of food poses a significant risk to infant health.
• Human milk is a primary source of nutrition for infants, potentially transferring contaminants from mothers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess infant exposure to Aflatoxin M1 (AfM1) and ochratoxin A (OA) via human milk in Egypt.
• To evaluate lactating mothers' exposure to Aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) using AfM1 in milk as a biomarker.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of AfM1 and OA levels in 120 human milk samples.
• Detection of AfM1 and OA in infant blood and urine samples.
• Calculation of daily OA intake based on detected levels.

Main Results:

• AfM1 was present in 55% of milk samples (mean 0.3 ng/mL).
• OA was found in 35.8% of milk samples (mean 21.1 ng/mL), exceeding the tolerable daily intake.
• AfM1 and OA were detected in a smaller proportion of blood and urine samples.

Conclusions:

• Egyptian infants are exposed to AfM1 and OA through breastfeeding.
• OA exposure from human milk surpasses safe levels, indicating a potential health risk.
• Further research is needed to mitigate mycotoxin exposure in this population.