Trend analysis of dietary exposure and risk characterization of aflatoxins in foods marketed in Türkiye: a meta-analysis, meta-regression, and risk assessment

Background and aim Aflatoxins are genotoxic carcinogens produced by Aspergillus species. This study assessed aflatoxin contamination in foods marketed in Türkiye.Experimental approach A systematic search identified studies measuring aflatoxins in nuts, dried fruits, spices, cereals, and dairy products.Key findings Aflatoxin B1 prevalence was 34.8% in nuts and dried fruits, 65.0% in spices, and 36.9% in cereals. Aflatoxin M1 prevalence in dairy products was 70.3%. Most concentrations were below EU levels, except in one oat dataset. The highest concentrations occurred in pistachio (4.550 µg/kg), oat (3.000 µg/kg), red pepper (2.541 µg/kg), and butter (0.112 µg/kg). Margin of exposure (MOE) values below 10,000 were obtained for pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, and cereals. Population hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk ranged from 0.000009 to 0.007028 cases per 100,000 person-years.Conclusions Although HCC risk were numerically low, MOE values below 10,000 for several foods indicate a health concern. Continued monitoring should be done.