Quantitative assessment of risk associated with dietary intake of mycotoxin ochratoxin A on the adult inhabitants in Shanghai city of P.R. China

Mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) is considered to be a possible risk factor for adverse effects in humans. In the present study, quantitative assessment of risk associated with dietary intake of OTA was performed based on consumption habits of the representative adult inhabitants in Shanghai city of P. R. China. Firstly, a total of 400 food samples randomly collected from different locations of Shanghai were analyzed by the previously established isotope dilution LC–MS/MS method. Then, 265 participants of 70 males and 195 females as representative inhabitants were invited to answer the designed questionnaire about the quantity and frequency of foods including four major varieties of grapes, cereals, beans and dried fruits as well as their derived products. Finally, all data were simulated by the point evaluation and model evaluation for the risk assessment of OTA contamination. Results from the point evaluation indicated that mean value of daily intake (DI) of OTA was 1.147 ng/kg body weight/day, which was lower than all the reference standards. However, DI value (8.566 ng/kg body weight/day) in the high percentile (97.5th) was obviously higher than the PTDI (5 ng/kg body weight/day) proposed by Scientific Committee on Food. Among the different groups of foods, OTA in cereals and derived products made the largest contribution to the potential healthy risk. The mean DI value and 97.5th percentile were 1.093 and 7.962 ng/kg body weight/day, respectively, indicating that more than 90% of the risk was due to the contamination of OTA in cereals and derived products. On the other hand, similar results were obtained by the Monte Carlo assessment model. Thus, from the currently available data and analyzed results on the adult inhabitants, regarding OTA contamination issues on food safety administration of Shanghai, there was no significant attention which should be paid on food consumption in Shanghai, besides cereals and derived products with very little possibility as the risk factors.

► Quantitative assessment of risk associated with OTA was performed in Shanghai.
► The exposure of OTA was evaluated in four main food varieties.
► The approaches of point evaluation and Monte Carlo assessment model were applied.
► It appeared to be low risk of OTA to adult habitants in Shanghai.