Fumonisins in corn and wheat foods in Hungary
What it found
In a Hungarian dietary survey, most adults and children took in fumonisins from corn and wheat foods below the tolerable daily intake, but about 1.5% of children's exposures went over it.
The authors say this means possible health risks cannot be ruled out for a small share of consumers.
What they found
Studies in people
Adults' intake
The average adult intake of fumonisins B1 plus B2 was 0.101 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day, and the high intake was 0.258. This stayed below the tolerable daily intake of 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight per day.
Children's intake
The average child intake was 0.313 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day, and the high intake was 0.744. Children's exposure was two to three times higher than adults'.
Children over the limit
About 1.5% of children's exposures went above the tolerable daily intake set by EFSA in 2018. The authors say potential health risks cannot be ruled out for a low proportion of consumers.
Other findings
Where fumonisins were found
The highest average total fumonisin levels were in corn flour, other corn-based products, wheat-based products, cornmeal and cornflakes. Corn flour averaged 0.115 mg/kg, other corn-based products 0.091 mg/kg, wheat-based products 0.077 mg/kg, cornmeal 0.074 mg/kg and cornflakes 0.052 mg/kg.
Wheat's contribution
Wheat-based products, fine wheat flour and white rice contributed the most to total intake, even though corn products had higher average contamination. This is because people in Hungary eat much more wheat.
Samples over the limit
All samples measured in 2019 to 2023 were within the EU maximum limits. Looking back to 2017, one corn flour sample, two cornmeal samples and one corn-based snack sample had total fumonisin contents above the regulatory limit.
What the authors conclude
“Our results show that about 1.5% of children's exposure could exceed the tolerable daily intake limit (TDI) of fumonisins, established by EFSA in 2018, meaning that potential health risks cannot be ruled out for a low proportion of consumers.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the estimated fumonisin exposure of Hungarian consumers from corn- and wheat-based products could reach the tolerable daily intake in a proportion of cases.
- They recommend constant monitoring of fumonisin levels in corn- and wheat-based products to safeguard consumer health.
- They note that the high concentrations found in corn-based products stress the important contribution of corn to overall fumonisin exposure.
How it was done
The authors wanted to estimate how much of these mold toxins the Hungarian population takes in from everyday corn, wheat and rice foods, using up-to-date national food consumption data.
They measured fumonisin B1 and B2 in 677 corn, wheat and rice products bought in Hungary between 2019 and 2023, and combined those levels with two-day food consumption records from 1046 adults and 1598 children collected in a 2018 to 2020 national survey.
What it can’t tell you
- This study estimated intake from food contamination and consumption data. It did not measure fumonisins in people's bodies or track their health over time.
- The calculations relied on average contamination for broad food groups, so they cannot show what any one person actually consumed.
- The authors note that many measurements fell below the detection limit, which adds uncertainty to the exposure estimates.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by GINOP-2.3.2.-15-2016-00046; Agribiotechnology and Precision Breeding for Food Security National Laboratory (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- MATE Doctoral School of Animal Science, Hungary; University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Hungary; Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary
The paper
- Title
- Fumonisin Intake from Consumption of Wheat- and Corn-Based Products in Hungary
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Schieszl T, Jozwiak Á, Süth M, Nemes I, Kovács M, Zentai A (2025). Fumonisin Intake from Consumption of Wheat- and Corn-Based Products in Hungary. Toxins. doi:10.3390/toxins17120566Free full textPubMed 41441601DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error