Armaghane Danesh Bimonthly Journal (Dec 2024)
Assessment of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A Contamination in Raw and Cooked Rice at Restaurants in Yasuj, Iran
Abstract
Background & aim: Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A are among the most common mycotoxins in food products, including grains such as rice, whose entry into the human body can endanger consumer health. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine and investigate the contamination of raw and cooked rice with Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A in restaurants of Yasuj, Iran. Methods: The present is a cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020. In the present research, 48 samples of raw and cooked rice, including 5 and 4 different Iranian and foreign commercial brands were randomly collected from restaurants in Yasuj, respectively. At that point, to measure the levels of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A, subsequently digesting the rice samples using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), the test was conducted based on Iranian National Standard No. 12004, which is a guideline for sampling agricultural products to identify and quantify mycotoxins. The obtained results were analyzed using SPSS and Excel software, and statistical tests including independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were applied. Result: The contamination levels of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A were determined to be 87% and 95.8% of the rice samples, respectively. Only two samples of Iranian rice (brand 5) and one sample of foreign rice (brand 3) contained Aflatoxin B1 amounts exceeding the standard limit set by Iran (5 nanograms per gram). The levels of Ochratoxin A in all samples were below the permissible limit set by the Iranian National Standard Organization. The rice cooking process significantly reduced the concentrations of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A (p<0.05). The reduction rates of Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A in Iranian and foreign rice were 33.52%, 29% and 23.32%, 25.62%, respectively. It was determined that the draining cooking method had a greater effect on reducing these mycotoxins in rice. Conclusion: The contamination levels of the rice samples examined in the present study with Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A did not pose a health risk to humans. The cooking process was effective in reducing these fungal toxins, and the draining method was more effective compared to the absorption method by removing toxins through discarded water.
