A total of 249 maize kernel samples from 8 maize-producing provinces of China were collected after the harvest season in 2014. All samples were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The incidences of FBs (FB1 + FB2) from Guizhou, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Chongqing, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, and Henan provinces were 71.4%, 73.8%, 28.0%, 52.6%, 85.0%, 87.5%, 38.1%, and 100.0%, respectively. The average concentration of FBs was 817 µg kg-1 and the concentrations ranged from <6 to 15,252 µg kg-1. Among the 249 maize kernel samples, 28 samples exhibited higher levels as set by the Food and Drug Administration (2000 µg kg-1), whereas 12 samples exhibited higher levels as set by the European Commission (4000 µg kg-1). The average exposure to FBs (0.12 µg kg-1 body weight/day) is within the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2.0 µg kg-1 body weight as set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.
Keywords: China; Fumonisins; HPLC; maize.