Abstract:
Objective To investigate the contamination status of ochratoxin A (OTA) in commercially available food products in Shanghai during 2022–2023, and to assess OTA exposure levels and non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks among pregnant women by integrating dietary consumption data for this population.
Methods The levels of OTA contamination in 1 520 food samples collected in Shanghai during 2022 and 2023 were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. An exposure assessment model was developed based on the dietary consumption levels of pregnant women from the 2016–2017 Shanghai Pregnant Women Dietary Monitoring Survey. This model calculated the estimated daily intake (EDI) of OTA, the margin of exposure for nonneoplastic toxicity (MOE
1), and the margin of exposure for neoplastic toxicity (MOE
2). For samples where OTA contamination levels were below the limit of detection (LOD)/not detected (ND), representing a proportion >60% and ≤80%, subsequent calculations assigned values of 0 and LOD respectively to these samples. Results The detection rates of OTA in cereals, nuts, fruits, and alcohol samples collected in 2022 were 2.03%, 0, and 0, respectively. In 2023, the detection rates for cereals, nuts, fruits, beans, and alcohol samples were 2.50%, 0.39%, 2.47%, 1.67%, and 13.33%, respectively. Simulation results indicate that when assigning a value of 0 and the LOD, the
P50 values for the EDI to OTA in pregnant women in Shanghai in 2022 were 0.05 and 0.72 ng·(kg·d)
-1 respectively, with
P95 values of 0.25 and 2.40 ng·(kg·d)
-1. For 2023, the
P50 values of the EDI for dietary OTA exposure among pregnant women in Shanghai were 0.04 and 1.00 ng·(kg·d)
-1, with
P95 values of 0.23 and 2.67 ng·(kg·d)
-1, respectively, both substantially below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for OTA 17 ng·(kg·d)
-1. The EDI for dietary OTA exposure in 100.0% of Shanghai pregnant women was <TDI, indicating an overall low level of dietary OTA exposure among this population. For 100.0% of pregnant women, the MOE
1 for dietary OTA exposure exceeded 200. When assigning a value of 0, the MOE
2 for 100.0% of pregnant women in both 2022 and 2023 exceeded 10 000. When assigning the LOD value, 72.3% and 81.8% of pregnant women in 2022 and 2023 respectively had an MOE
2 exceeding 10 000. Conclusion In 2022–2023, samples of cereals, nuts, fruits, beans, and alcohol sold in Shanghai exhibited varying degrees of OTA contamination. The overall EDI of OTA among pregnant women in Shanghai remained at a low level. The nonneoplastic and neoplastic risks associated with OTA exposure were generally low and remained within manageable limits.