Quantitative dietary exposure assessment of the Catalonian population (Spain) to the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol

The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most common contaminants of cereals worldwide, and its occurrence has been widely reported in raw foods and foodstuffs, around the European region, including Catalonia. In the present work, a stochastic methodology has been applied to accurately assess the exposure of the Catalonian population (Spain) to DON through food consumption. Raw contamination data was provided by a large survey conducted in this region, in addition to the raw consumption data from a nutritional study specifically designed to assess the dietary intake of the main foodstuffs related to DON contamination for all population age groups. Contamination and consumption data were combined by simulation using an essentially parametric (P-P) method. The P-P method draws sampling values from distribution functions fitted to consumption and contamination data sets. Moreover, to quantify the accuracy and reliability of the statistics estimates, we built the related confidence intervals using a pseudo-parametric bootstrap method. Considering the results drawn from the P-P simulation method, the Catalonian population should be expected to be exposed at moderated levels of deoxynivalenol, the infants and individuals with ethnic dietary patterns being the most exposed population groups