Mycotoxicological monitoring of breakfast and infant cereals marketed in Brazil

A mycotoxicological survey was conducted in breakfast (n = 172) and infant (n = 43) cereals commercialized in Brazil. Samples were collected in 2018 for analyses of: aflatoxins (AFs) B-1 (AFB1), B-2, G(1) and G(2); fumonisins (FBs) B-1 (FB1) and B-2; zearalenone (ZEN); the trichothecenes (TRCs) deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, nivalenol, fusarenon X, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and diacetoxyscirpenol; and ochratoxin A. FBI was the most prevalent metabolite in breakfast cereals, being detected in 26.7% of the samples (mean 105 mu g/kg); ZEN had the second highest positivity, 14.8% (mean 17 mu g/kg), followed by DON with 10% (mean 44 mu g/kg). In infant cereals, FBI also had the highest incidence, 27.8% (mean 55 mu g/kg), followed by DON with 10.3% (mean 36 mu g/kg) and ZEN with 6.9% (mean 3 mu g/kg). Mycotoxins contamination was found in 31.4% (n = 54) of the breakfast cereals and in 18.6% (n = 8) of the infant cereals. In these positive samples, co-occurrence of two or three mycotoxins was detected in 31.5% (n = 17) of the breakfast cereals and in 25% (n = 2) of the infant cereals. The mycotoxins found co-contaminating the breakfast cereals belong to the genera Aspergillus and Fusarium; ZEN, followed by AFRI, were the most prevalent ones. As for the infant cereals, the associated fungal metabolites are produced by the genus Fusarium; the highest incidence was seen for ZEN. Low contamination and positivity of mycotoxins were found herein; nonetheless, in some samples these substances were present at levels which transgress those preconized in the Brazilian legislation. Therefore, mycotoxicological monitoring of this type of product throughout the nation is crucial in order to identify the potential risk to which the Brazilian population is exposed, particularly the children.