Bioaccumulation risk assessment of Aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin and fumonisin B1 in T. molitor larvae

The industrial farming of edible insects for food and feed generally employs cultivated plants and derivatives as rearing diets. These feed substrates may contain toxins produced by different species of fungi which cause adverse health effects to consumers. Frequently found in cereals and cereal products, mycotoxins aflatoxins, ochratoxins and fumonisins are harmful to human and animal health. In this study the uptake of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) and their elimination rates were investigated in T. molitor larvae fed on cereal-based diets contaminated with two concentration levels for each mycotoxin. New analytical methods for extraction and quantification of AFB1, OTA and FB1 residues in larvae were developed and validated. It has been demonstrated that T. molitor larvae did not accumulate in detectable or dangerous concentrations the three tested mycotoxins at the two tested concentration levels and that a fasting period of 24 hours ensured a sufficient elimination rate of AFB1, OTA and FB1 residues. These results represent a preliminary investigation to define an appropriate quality control procedure to assess the safe use of T. molitor for food and feed purposes. © 2020 CREA-DC, Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification. All rights reserved.