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Consumption Data for the Main Cheeses (Mexican-Style Fresh and Oaxaca) for Dietary Exposure Assessment among the Population of Veracruz City, Mexico

Estela HC, Alejandra RM, Manuel VO, Wesolek N, Guadalupe del CRJ, Antonio SCM, Alain-Claude R, Magda CM, and Víctor RO

In tropical areas of Mexico and the world mycotoxin-producing fungi grow in some cereals such as corn. These fungi can contaminate corn with Aflatoxin B1 and subsequently be consumed by dairy cows, which metabolize it into Aflatoxin M1. This toxin is potentially carcinogenic for humans and it can be excreted by dairy cows into milk. Much of this milk is converted into cheese. It is therefore essential to assess the exposure of the population to this toxin through the consumption of cheese. Food intake data is the first step to assess exposure of contaminants through food consumption. Therefore, the objective of this study was to design and implement questionnaires to determine the most consumed cheeses among Veracruz City population, consumption rates of these cheeses, as well as to determine the main factors influencing consumption patterns. The two methods used for data collection of the intake of cheeses were a Purchase Frequency Questionnaire and a 7-day food diary. The city of Veracruz is a good representation of the urban population of Mexico (552,156 inhabitants; 232.3 km2 of surface area). The questionnaires show that the average consumption rate was 50.9 g/person/day and 47.8 g/person/day for fresh and Oaxaca cheeses, respectively. The results of the Purchase Frequency Questionnaire and food diary were confirmed. The methodology used can be applied in other countries requiring not only the assessment risk of exposure to aflatoxin M1 but also other pollutants through cheese consumption.