ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of the Contamination Level by Fumonisins B1 and B2 of the Corn Food Products Available on Polish Consumer Market
Anna Kowalska, Ilona Hajok, Agata Piekut
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Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health in Bytom,
Medical University of Silesia in Katowice
ul. Piekarska 18, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
Submission date: 2017-01-17
Final revision date: 2017-03-03
Acceptance date: 2017-04-10
Online publication date: 2017-10-09
Publication date: 2017-11-07
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(6):2595-2601
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ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to determine the level of contamination by fumonisins of selected corn food products that are available on the market in Silesia. The material covered by the study were samples of corn flour, corn grits, corn flakes, products for infants and young children, popcorn and samples of corn grain. In these samples the total amount of fumonisins as well as separately fumonisin B1 and B2 were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a fluorescence detector prior to the derivatization. Of the 106 surveyed corn foods samples, more than 1/3 (34.9%) were found contaminated by fumonisins B1 and B2; Fumonisin B1 was present in 45.3% of samples, and Fumonisin B2 in 17.0% of the samples. One sample of corn flour was found contaminated by fumonisins on the level of 6342 mg/kg, what makes that the maximum permissible level has been exceeded of more than three times. In other food products, the maximum permissible level of fumonisin was not exceeded. Exposure to mycotoxins in the analyzed corn food products is not a significant health risk to consumers.