Aflatoxin B1 in post-harvest peanuts and dietary risk in China

To monitor the aflatoxin contamination status in raw peanuts and evaluate the effect on public health, 1040 samples were collected from four agro-ecological zones throughout 12 provinces from 2009 to 2010 in China and then analyzed for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) levels using High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and immunoaffinity columns. The results revealed that AFB1 was detected in 25% of the samples, ranging from 0.01 to 720 μg/kg. The Monte Carlo and bootstrap methods were employed to estimate AFB1 intake in children and adults and their potential liver cancer risk. The mean estimated intakes for children and adults were 0.218–0.222 ng/kg body weight (bw)/day and 0.106–0.108 ng/kg bw/day. The liver cancer risk, calculated by two approaches derived from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), were estimated at 0.003–0.17 cancer cases/year/100,000 and 24.7–1273 margins of exposure values, respectively. The results suggest that AFB1 contamination in raw peanuts and dietary risk was low, but essential surveillance measures should be taken to protect public health.