Mycotoxin exposure assessment from maize flour-based porridge consumed by infants and young children in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

IF 5.3 2区农林科学 Q2 CHEMISTRY, APPLIED

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-28 DOI:10.1016/j.jfca.2026.108949

Christus C. Miderho , Lucy G. Njue , George O. Abong , Kanigula Mubagwa , Michael Sulyok

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Abstract

Infants and young children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) may be highly exposed to dietary mycotoxins due to reliance on maize flour-based complementary foods. This cross-sectional study assessed exposure across urban and rural health zones in South Kivu, DRC. A total of 428 maize flour samples were pooled into 48 composite samples and analyzed using validated LC-MS/MS methods. Dietary exposure was assessed using Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Margin of Exposure (MoE), Monte Carlo simulations, and liver cancer risk modeling. Children under five were exposed to levels of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁; EDIs > 200 ng/kg bw/day) exceeding safety limits. MoE values (1.1–23.1) were far below the recommended threshold of 10,000, indicating high carcinogenic risk. The children were also exposed to fumonisins (0.03–0.74 µg/kg bw/day), deoxynivalenol (0–0.44 µg/kg bw/day), and zearalenone (0–0.50 µg/kg bw/day). Cumulative risk was highest in white (hazard index, HI = 297.8) and pale red maize flours (HI = 275.4). White maize flour contributed the highest AFB1-related liver cancer burden (3.05 cases per 100,000 children annually). These results highlight the need for food safety surveillance and for targeted myotoxin mitigation programs.

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刚果民主共和国南基伍省婴幼儿食用玉米粉粥所产生的霉菌毒素暴露评估

刚果民主共和国的婴幼儿由于依赖以玉米粉为基础的辅食，可能高度暴露于膳食真菌毒素。本横断面研究评估了刚果民主共和国南基伍省城市和农村卫生区的暴露情况。将428份玉米粉样品混合成48份复合样品，采用经验证的LC-MS/MS方法进行分析。饮食暴露评估采用每日摄入量（EDI）、暴露边际（MoE）、蒙特卡罗模拟和肝癌风险模型。5岁以下儿童暴露于黄曲霉毒素B1 （AFB1; EDIs > 200 ng/kg bw/day）水平超过安全限值。MoE值（1.1-23.1）远低于建议阈值10000，表明高致癌风险。这些儿童还暴露于伏马菌素（0.03-0.74 µg/kg bw/day）、脱氧雪腐镰刀菌醇（0-0.44 µg/kg bw/day）和玉米赤霉烯酮（0-0.50 µg/kg bw/day）。累积风险最高的是白色玉米粉（HI = 297.8）和浅红色玉米粉（HI = 275.4）。白玉米粉与afb1相关的肝癌负担最高（每年每10万名儿童中有3.05例）。这些结果强调了食品安全监测和有针对性的肌毒素缓解计划的必要性。

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来源期刊

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 工程技术-食品科技

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

11.60%

发文量

601

审稿时长

53 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Food Composition and Analysis publishes manuscripts on scientific aspects of data on the chemical composition of human foods, with particular emphasis on actual data on composition of foods; analytical methods; studies on the manipulation, storage, distribution and use of food composition data; and studies on the statistics, use and distribution of such data and data systems. The Journal''s basis is nutrient composition, with increasing emphasis on bioactive non-nutrient and anti-nutrient components. Papers must provide sufficient description of the food samples, analytical methods, quality control procedures and statistical treatments of the data to permit the end users of the food composition data to evaluate the appropriateness of such data in their projects. The Journal does not publish papers on: microbiological compounds; sensory quality; aromatics/volatiles in food and wine; essential oils; organoleptic characteristics of food; physical properties; or clinical papers and pharmacology-related papers.