title: Dietary Exposure and Natural Occurrence of Total Aflatoxins in Basmati Rice of Pakistan.
abstract: This study presents the assessment of total aflatoxins (TAFs) in basmati rice (brown, 1,081; white, 1,170) collected from different areas of Punjab, Pakistan, during 2010 to 2015. Due to the carcinogenicity of TAFs, daily dietary exposure is also evaluated based on rice consumption survey data. Methodology was standardized by matrix spike recoveries at four fortification levels (0.1, 0.5, 2.5, and 12.5 ng/g) for TAFs (aflatoxins B1[AFB1], B2[AFB2], G1[AFG1], and G2[AFG2]). The present study reveals that 1,750 samples (77.74%) were tainted with AFB1, whereas TAFs were detected in 370 samples (16.43%). Of positive samples, 854 brown rice samples (79%) were positive for AFB1, and 154 samples (14.24%) were contaminated with TAFs. For white rice, 896 samples (76.58%) were contaminated with AFB1, whereas 205 samples (18.46%) were found positive for TAFs. Study findings were used to construct a frequency distribution, and AFB1levels were also compared against permissible levels of TAFs (10 ng/g) as legislated by the European Commission. Results further revealed that daily dietary exposure of TAFs ranged from 0.51 to 10.22 ng/kg of body weight per day, which exceeds the permissible limit of 1 ng/kg of body weight per day as defined by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.
authors.affiliation: Romer Labs, Pakistan, Flat No. 8, First Floor Satellite Shopping Plaza, 71-A 6th Road, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nighat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.affiliation: Romer Labs, Pakistan, Flat No. 8, First Floor Satellite Shopping Plaza, 71-A 6th Road, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Iffat
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tahira
authors.affiliation: Government Post Graduate College for Women, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Mumtaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kausar
authors.affiliation: Romer Labs, Pakistan, Flat No. 8, First Floor Satellite Shopping Plaza, 71-A 6th Road, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Syed Mujahid
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Romer Labs, Pakistan, Flat No. 8, First Floor Satellite Shopping Plaza, 71-A 6th Road, Rawalpindi, Punjab 46000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nafeesa Qudsia
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Hanif
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D012275:Oryza; D010154:Pakistan
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins
keywords: Brown rice; Carcinogenic; Dietary intake; Total aflatoxins; White rice