- Acknowledgements: Project PID2021-127804OB-I00 funded by Spanish MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe” and Project PROYEXCEL_00195 – Andalusia Government. This work has been supported by a scholarship offered by the University of Jendouba, Tunisia. This research was funded by Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Egyptian Government for the postdoctoral grant offered by the Cultural Affairs and Mission Sector (Central Administration of Mission) for the year 2020/2022, grant number PD02-2019.
- Authors: K.B. Hassouna, A.M. Hamed, J.B. Salah-Abbès, K. Chaieb, S. Abbès, A.M. García-Campaña, L. Gámiz-Gracia.
- Reference: Toxins 15 (2023) 633.
Food and feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major public health concern. Humans and animals are exposed to these toxins by consuming contaminated products throughout their lives. In this study, a method based on dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME), followed by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD), was validated for the determination of aflatoxins (AFs) M1, B1, B2, G1, G2, zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA). The method was applied to 150 raw cow milk samples and 90 market durum wheat samples from two Tunisian climatic regions: the littoral region (Mahdia) and the continental region (Béja). This work was carried out to obtain more surveillance data to support rapid initiatives to assure safe foods and protect consumer health and to estimate the daily exposure of the Tunisian population consuming those products. AFG2 and OTA were found in wheat with incidences of 54.4 and 11.1%, respectively. On the other side, milk samples were contaminated by AFG2, AFB1, and AFB2 with incidences of 8.7%, 2.0%, and 0.67%, respectively. Some of the samples showed OTA concentrations above the maximum limit allowed by the European Union, which represents a health risk for consumers in Tunisia, where no legislation exists about the maximum content of mycotoxins in food.
