Fumonisins in Brazilian corn-based foods for infant consumption.

A survey of 196 samples of corn-based infant foods from 13 cities of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, was carried out to investigate the fumonisin contamination in the products. Based on their ingredients, the products were divided into seven groups: infant cereal designated as types A-D, corn meal, corn starch and instant cereal baby food. Although certain infant food samples were free of fumonisin contamination (<20 microg kg(-1); corn starch and infant cereals of type A, B and D), contamination levels in the other products (corn meal, instant corn-based baby food and cereal type C) were of concern, particularly those in corn meal. All samples in these categories contained fumonisins. The mean level for total fumonisins (FB1 + FB2 + FB3) in corn meal was 2242 microg kg(-1) (maximum 8039 microg kg(-1)), in instant corn-based baby food was 437 (maximum 1096) microg kg(-1) and in infant cereal type C was 664 (maximum 1753) microg kg(-1).