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.