title: Assessment of dietary intake of patulin from baby foods.
abstract: Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by microscopic fungi belonging to the Penicillium and Aspergillus genera, frequently detectable in moldy fruits and their derivatives fruit products. The EC Regulation 1881/06 has imposed the limit for the presence of patulin equal to 10 μg/kg or 10 μg/L in baby food on the basis of a PMTDI of 0.4 μg/kg bw set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). A total of 120 homogenized baby foods were analyzed to evaluate the exposure of baby and children to patulin through the consumption of these products. None of examined samples has shown a toxin concentration above the limit imposed by the law, however a PAT concentration equal to 9 μg/kg was found in 22 samples, slightly below the fixed limit. The presence of patulin in marketed baby food can be regarded as a parameter indicative of the quality of raw materials used.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Zootecnia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Univ. degli Studi di Bari, Strada Provinciale per Casamassima, km 3, 70010 (BA), Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bonerba
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: Edmondo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ceci
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tantillo
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004032:Diet; D005062:European Union; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D058870:Food, Organic / Q000032:analysis; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis*; D007558:Italy; D027845:Malus / Q000737:chemistry; D010365:Patulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D010365:Patulin