Risk assessment of aflatoxin exposure for consumers of in natura and blanched peanuts from Brazil from 2016 to 2019.

Abstract

Aflatoxins (AFs), carcinogenic secondary metabolites produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, are frequently associated with the peanut chain worldwide, and affect grain quality, reducing the commercial value. Brazil is ranked as the third peanut producer in the American continent and the State of São Paulo produces 91 % of Brazilian peanuts, of which 80 % are exported to Russia, Algeria, South Africa and Poland. This study aimed to assess the risk of aflatoxin exposure for peanut consumers from Brazil. Aflatoxins in 426 peanut samples from a food industry located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, belonging to three sequential crops (2016/17, n = 77; 2017/18, n = 150; 2018/19, n = 199) were analyzed by Immunoaffinity Column-fluorometry. Mean total AFs in positive samples ranged from 6.96 to 11.1 ng g-1 (in natura, n = 363) and from 3.83 to 8.2 ng g-1 (blanched, n = 63) in the peanut batches. The mean probable daily intake (PDI) of aflatoxins was 0.11 (2016/17), 0.06 (2017/18), and 0.12 ng kg-1 body weight (bw) day-1 (2018/19) for the Brazilian population. For countries that import Brazilian peanuts, the aflatoxin PDI ranged from 0.06 (Russia) to 0.19 ng kg -1 bw day -1 (Poland). MOE (margin of exposure) values ranged from 895 (Poland, 2018/19) to 2833 (Brazil and Russia, 2017/2018). Although the mean PDI values were lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 1.0 ng kg -1 bw day -1, MOE values indicated a possible health problem for the Brazilian population and for the populations in countries that import and consume Brazilian peanuts.