Abstract The fumonisins are carcinogenic mycotoxins that have been implicated in various adverse human health effects. Recently, the Codex Alimentarius Commission set maximum levels (MLs) for fumonisin mycotoxins at 4000 μg/kg for raw maize and 2000 μg/kg for maize flour and maize meal and these have been incorporated into South African health regulations. The MLs are intended to be health protective such that fumonisin exposures will be below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of fumonisin of 2 μg/kg body weight/day set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). South Africa has an extensive commercial maize farming industry as well as a large subsistence farming population reliant on home-grown maize. The available data on fumonisin contamination levels indicates that these MLs are readily met by the commercial crop. However, the situation in subsistence farming areas such as in the Eastern Cape Province region is of concern. The daily consumption of large amounts of highly fumonisin-contaminated home-grown maize is of relevance mainly due to rudimentary milling, which is not subject to the reduction in mycotoxin contamination associated with commercial milling. Analysis of historical fumonisin data from the Eastern Cape region indicates that approximately 12.8% of raw maize and 25% of the rural locally produced flour would not meet the respective MLs of 4000 μg/kg ML and 2000 μg/kg. Further analysis shows that given the high maize intake levels of this population, only prohibitively low MLs for raw maize of around 100–300 μg/kg would be health protective for different age groups in this area. Based on this analysis, the lowering of fumonisin exposure in subsistence farmers requires an integrated approach and cannot be achieved purely by regulatory means.

中文翻译：

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南非商业和自给玉米作物中伏马菌素真菌毒素最高监管水平的有效性

摘要 伏马菌素是致癌的真菌毒素，对人类健康有多种不利影响。最近，食品法典委员会将伏马菌素真菌毒素的最高水平 (ML) 设定为生玉米 4000 μg/kg 和玉米粉和玉米粉 2000 μg/kg，这些已被纳入南非卫生法规。最大限量旨在保护健康，使伏马菌素暴露量低于由粮农组织/世卫组织食品添加剂联合专家委员会 (JECFA) 设定的伏马菌素临时最大每日耐受摄入量 (PMTDI) 2 微克/公斤体重/天. 南非拥有广泛的商业玉米种植业以及大量依赖本土玉米的自给农业人口。可用的伏马菌素污染水平数据表明，经济作物很容易满足这些最大限量。然而，东开普省地区等自给农业地区的情况令人担忧。大量受伏马菌素高度污染的本土玉米的日常消费主要是由于基本碾磨，而不受与商业碾磨相关的霉菌毒素污染减少的影响。对东开普地区历史伏马菌素数据的分析表明，大约 12.8% 的生玉米和 25% 的农村当地生产的面粉不符合 4000 μg/kg ML 和 2000 μg/kg 各自的最大限量。进一步分析表明，鉴于该人群的玉米摄入量较高，只有 100–300 μg/kg 左右的生玉米的低到令人望而却步，才能对该地区不同年龄组的健康起到保护作用。根据这一分析，降低自给农民的伏马菌素暴露需要综合方法，不能单纯通过监管手段来实现。