Nutritional assessment and risk of mycotoxin contamination

The aim of this study was to investigate the diet of schoolchildren in four state and private schools in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, which was allegedly contaminated with mycotoxins, and to assess the nutritional status of the population under study. The sample consisted of schoolchildren in the 1st and 2nd grades of elementary school, totaling 197 students. The schoolchildren's food consumption was assessed using two types of dietary surveys: the 24-hour recall and the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). To assess the nutritional status of the schoolchildren, the combined weight/height (W/H) and height/age (W/A) indicators were used, which were evaluated using the Z-score. Using the data from the 24-hour recall and the FFQ, a selection was made of the foods mentioned, characterizing them as foods with the greatest potential risk of mycotoxin contamination. The descriptive analyses of the population of schoolchildren indicated a population with a good sample distribution according to gender, with 45.2% (boys) and 54.8% (girls).