title: Aflatoxin B1 contamination in wheat grain samples collected from different geographical regions of India: A multicenter study.
abstract: In a multicenter study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, 1,646 samples of wheat grain collected from rural and urban areas of 10 states representing different geographical regions of India were analyzed for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). AFB1 concentrations of > or = 5 microg kg(-1) were recorded in 40.3% of the samples, and concentrations above the Indian permissible regulatory limit of 30 microg kg(-1) were found in 16% of the samples. The proportion of samples with AFB1 concentrations above the Indian regulatory limit ranged from 1.7 to 55.8% in different states, with the minimum in Haryana and the maximum in Orissa. The variation in wheat contamination among states seems to be mainly the result of unsatisfactory storage conditions. Median AFB1 concentrations of 11, 18, and 32 microg kg(-1) were observed in samples from Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Orissa, respectively; concentrations in other states were <5 microg kg(-1). The maximum AFB1 concentration of 606 microg kg(-1) was observed in a sample from the state of Uttar Pradesh. The calculated probable daily intakes of AFB1 through consumption of contaminated wheat for the population in some states were much higher than the suggested provisional maximum tolerable daily intake. Human health hazards associated with such AFB1 exposure over time cannot be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Central Coordinating Unit, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi 110029, India. gstoteja@yahoo.com
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Toteja
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diwakar
authors.forename: Padam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Nagaraja
authors.forename: Girija
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: C A Krishna
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vanchinathan
authors.forename: Rajat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parkar
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D011042:Poisons / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D011042:Poisons; D016604:Aflatoxin B1