Risk ranking of mycotoxins in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives under protein transition scenarios
- Author
- Sofie Schryvers (UGent) , Christian Jung, Maria Agustina Pavicich (UGent) , Sarah De Saeger, Carl Lachat (UGent) and Liesbeth Jacxsens (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- While reducing the consumption of animal-source foods is recommended for planetary and human health, potential emerging food safety risks associated with the transition to dietary patterns featuring plant-based meat (PBMA) and dairy alternatives (PBDA) remain unexplored. We assessed the exposure to mycotoxins and ranked the associated health risks related to the consumption of PBMA and PBDA. We simulated diets by replacing animal-source proteins with their plant-based alternatives. A risk ratio method, based on the hazard quotient (HQ), was applied to rank mycotoxin-related food safety risks. An aggregated dataset containing contamination data of 45 mycotoxins distributed over 182 PBDA and 131 PBMA samples, collected and analyzed in Europe, representing a convenience sample, was used as input in our risk assessment. The highest risk mycotoxins identified for PBMA in the lower bound scenario (LB) were the sum of aflatoxins (sum AF), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and alternariol (AOH), with HQs for children of 121.3, 66.8, 24.0 and 4.3, respectively. In the milk substitution model (LB), HQs of 4.9 (sum AF) and 1.4 (AFB1) were calculated for children, indicating a potential food safety risk. Further analysis demonstrated that soy-based meat alternatives are the highest risk food products, in particular for sum AF, AME, AOH and AFB1. With regard to PBDA, highest HQs were found for sum AF in almond and oat drink, and AFB1 in oat drink. This research presents an approach to overcome the lack of data in the assessment of emerging risks associated with the shift to more sustainable dietary patterns.
- Keywords
- Risk assessment, Plant-based meat alternatives, Plant-based dairy alternatives, Mycotoxins, Food safety, Protein transition, PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY, VEGETARIAN
Downloads
-
schryvers 2024.pdf
- full text (Published version)
- |
- open access
- |
- |
- 2.09 MB
Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JGXBD9Z3Y4YJ38VE4EQ6EMNW
- MLA
- Schryvers, Sofie, et al. “Risk Ranking of Mycotoxins in Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Alternatives under Protein Transition Scenarios.” FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, vol. 200, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115422.
- APA
- Schryvers, S., Jung, C., Pavicich, M. A., De Saeger, S., Lachat, C., & Jacxsens, L. (2025). Risk ranking of mycotoxins in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives under protein transition scenarios. FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, 200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115422
- Chicago author-date
- Schryvers, Sofie, Christian Jung, Maria Agustina Pavicich, Sarah De Saeger, Carl Lachat, and Liesbeth Jacxsens. 2025. “Risk Ranking of Mycotoxins in Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Alternatives under Protein Transition Scenarios.” FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115422.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Schryvers, Sofie, Christian Jung, Maria Agustina Pavicich, Sarah De Saeger, Carl Lachat, and Liesbeth Jacxsens. 2025. “Risk Ranking of Mycotoxins in Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Alternatives under Protein Transition Scenarios.” FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 200. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115422.
- Vancouver
- 1.Schryvers S, Jung C, Pavicich MA, De Saeger S, Lachat C, Jacxsens L. Risk ranking of mycotoxins in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives under protein transition scenarios. FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL. 2025;200.
- IEEE
- [1]S. Schryvers, C. Jung, M. A. Pavicich, S. De Saeger, C. Lachat, and L. Jacxsens, “Risk ranking of mycotoxins in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives under protein transition scenarios,” FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, vol. 200, 2025.
@article{01JGXBD9Z3Y4YJ38VE4EQ6EMNW,
abstract = {{While reducing the consumption of animal-source foods is recommended for planetary and human health, potential emerging food safety risks associated with the transition to dietary patterns featuring plant-based meat (PBMA) and dairy alternatives (PBDA) remain unexplored. We assessed the exposure to mycotoxins and ranked the associated health risks related to the consumption of PBMA and PBDA. We simulated diets by replacing animal-source proteins with their plant-based alternatives. A risk ratio method, based on the hazard quotient (HQ), was applied to rank mycotoxin-related food safety risks. An aggregated dataset containing contamination data of 45 mycotoxins distributed over 182 PBDA and 131 PBMA samples, collected and analyzed in Europe, representing a convenience sample, was used as input in our risk assessment. The highest risk mycotoxins identified for PBMA in the lower bound scenario (LB) were the sum of aflatoxins (sum AF), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and alternariol (AOH), with HQs for children of 121.3, 66.8, 24.0 and 4.3, respectively. In the milk substitution model (LB), HQs of 4.9 (sum AF) and 1.4 (AFB1) were calculated for children, indicating a potential food safety risk. Further analysis demonstrated that soy-based meat alternatives are the highest risk food products, in particular for sum AF, AME, AOH and AFB1. With regard to PBDA, highest HQs were found for sum AF in almond and oat drink, and AFB1 in oat drink. This research presents an approach to overcome the lack of data in the assessment of emerging risks associated with the shift to more sustainable dietary patterns.}},
articleno = {{115422}},
author = {{Schryvers, Sofie and Jung, Christian and Pavicich, Maria Agustina and De Saeger, Sarah and Lachat, Carl and Jacxsens, Liesbeth}},
issn = {{0963-9969}},
journal = {{FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL}},
keywords = {{Risk assessment,Plant-based meat alternatives,Plant-based dairy alternatives,Mycotoxins,Food safety,Protein transition,PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY,VEGETARIAN}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{12}},
title = {{Risk ranking of mycotoxins in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives under protein transition scenarios}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115422}},
volume = {{200}},
year = {{2025}},
}
- Altmetric
- View in Altmetric
- Web of Science
- Times cited: