Abstract

Epidemiological data indicates that mycotoxins and heavy metals can be harmful when ingested by humans and animals. The present study was conducted to report the presence of mycotoxins and heavy metals in organic commercial cereal-based products, available in the Faisalabad market. Forty-four samples of organic cereals products including wheat, barley, rice, oat and maize were examined for the presence of mycotoxins (aflatoxins), heavy metals (Pb, Cd) and trace elements (Cu, Zn, Ni). Results were induced and compared to the recommended levels. 23 (52.2%) of the collected samples were detected with the presence of aflatoxins in higher concentrations then allowed as according to the limits set by EU legislation for the presence of AFs. Wheat, oat, rice, barley and maize showed 61, 60, 54, 50 and 33% of the samples respectively contaminated with aflatoxins. 5 (11%) and 3 (6%) of the samples surpassed the allowed limit for Pb and Cd respectively. Trace elements were detected in higher amounts in some of the evaluated samples. Results of the present work specify the need of continuous monitoring of raw material and processed products regardless of them being organically grown or not, in order to minimize the risk of contamination in cereal-based foods.

Keywords: Heavy Metals; Mycotoxins; Organic Food; Cereals; Food Safety; ELISA

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Citation

Citation: Muhammad Afzaal., et al. “Presence of Mycotoxins and Heavy Metals in Organic Commercial Cereal-Based Foods Sold in Faisalabad Market".Acta Scientific Nutritional Health 4.7 (2020): 86-91.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Muhammad Afzaal., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.