title: Fumonisin B1 contamination in breast milk and its exposure in infants under 6 months of age in Rombo, Northern Tanzania.
abstract: The carry-over of fumonisin B1 from contaminated feed into dairy milk also suggests its carry-over from contaminated food into breast milk. This study assessed fumonisin B1 contamination in breast milk and associated exposures of infants under 6 months of age. Breast milk samples were collected from 131 lactating mothers and the weight of their infants was measured during the first month of lactation. Fumonisin B1 was extracted using methanol:acetone, cleaned up with Strong Anion Exchange columns and quantified by HPLC. Fumonisin B1 exposure in each child was estimated using deterministic approach. Out of the 131 samples, 58 (44.3%) contained fumonisin B1 at levels ranging from 6.57 to 471.05 ng/ml. Of the contaminated samples, 10.3% had fumonisin B1 levels above the EU limit of 200 ppb for fumonisins in infants' food. Exposure in the infants ranged from 0.78 to 64.93 µg/kg body weight (bw) per day (median, 3 µg/kg bw/day) and exceeded the provisional maximum tolerable limit of 2 µg/kg bw/day in 29% of the infants. In conclusion, breast milk from mothers in Northern Tanzania is contaminated with fumonisins at levels that lead to unacceptable exposures in infants. Strategies to prevent lactating mothers from fumonisin exposure are urgently needed to minimise fumonisin exposure in infants.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Research Group Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition - nutriFOODchem (partner in Food2Know), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Department of Food and Nutrition, Open University of Tanzania (OUT), P.O. Box 23409, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Happy
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Magoha
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Research Group Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition - nutriFOODchem (partner in Food2Know), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Meulenaer
authors.affiliation: Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimanya
authors.affiliation: Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority, Directorate of Laboratory Services, Mabibo External, P. O. Box 77150, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Danstan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hipolite
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Research Group Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition - nutriFOODchem (partner in Food2Know), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Public Health, Nutrition and Child Health Unit, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp 2000, Belgium.
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lachat
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Research Group Food Chemistry and Human Nutrition - nutriFOODchem (partner in Food2Know), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Department of Public Health, Nutrition and Child Health Unit, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerp 2000, Belgium. Electronic address: pkolsteren@itg.be.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolsteren
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D037341:Fumonisins; C056933:fumonisin B1
keywords: Breast milk; Exposure; Fumonisin; Infants; Tanzania