Carcinogenic Mycotoxins in Common Foods: ELISA-Based Measurement of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxins

Volume 27 , Issue 2 , December 2025 , Pages 127-138

Authors

Narmeen Ahmad 1 ; Ali Arif 2 ; Shanya Sadq 2 ; Eşref Çelik 3 ; Mohammed Mahmood 4 ; Kani Raza 5 ; Darya Ahmad 5 ; Jinan Hasan 5

1 Kurdistan Institution For Strategic Studies and Scientific research

2 Kurdistan Institution for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research (KISSR), Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

3 Near East University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology

4 Department of Dental Basic Science, College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

5 Directory of Veterinary Hospital, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

DOI logo 10.17656/sujpas.1025

Keywords

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by certain species of fungi, posing a significant risk to human health. Aflatoxins and ochratoxins are among the most important mycotoxin analytes in food and are classified as carcinogenic. The current study aimed to obtain information on the total aflatoxin and ochratoxin contamination in eleven different types of seeds, legumes, cereal flours, and starches randomly collected from markets and traditional bazaars in Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq, using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Of the eighty-eight samples tested, six samples had high total aflatoxin levels, while of the eighty-six samples tested for ochratoxin, fifteen samples were highly contaminated with concentrations ranging from 11 to 49 parts per billion (micrograms per kilogram (µg/kg)). Most of the tested samples had aflatoxin and ochratoxin contents, albeit the degree of contamination was mostly acceptable within the European Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 for foodstuffs (0.1 to 10 µg/kg). A few samples of tea, spices, cereals, and coffee are very strongly contaminated with aflatoxin and ochratoxin, possibly due to production conditions that favour mycotoxin formation. This study could raise awareness of mycotoxin contamination of food, its impact on public health, and economic losses. Farmers, consumers, and regulators should be encouraged to take strict measures to prevent food contamination.

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  • Published at25 December 2025

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