Evaluation of dietary exposure to deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives from cereals in China

Probabilistic estimation of dietary exposure to DON, including its acetylated derivatives, and type B trichothecenes from cereals and cereal-based products in Chinese populations was investigated in the current work. Different cut-offs as proposed Maximum levels (MLs) for DON in various raw cereals and/or cereal-based foods were assessed based on the risk assessment results. Occurrence data was documented from 31 provinces of China over the year 2010-2013. Food consumption data was obtained from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey conducted in 2002. Dietary exposure was implemented by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and Bootstrap resampling. The exposure distributions were specified as percentiles with confidence intervals (95% CIs) and compared with the group provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 1 mu g/kg bw/day and the group acute reference dose (ARfD) of 8 mu g/kg bw/day for DON and its acetylated derivatives. Results indicate that 75% of children and 90% of the general population and the adults are under the group PMTDI value, while 99% of the three populations are under ARfD value. However, under the assumptions of the proposed cut-offs, the P99.9 percentiles would decrease significantly. The probabilistic assessment in this study indicated that high-end exposure to DON and its derivatives should be concerned, especially for children. Rigorous formulation of maximum limits for DON and its derivatives in the relevant foodstuffs combined with increased monitoring should be considered as an effective way to reduce risk. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.