With the climatic changes that have taken place during the last decade, the spectrum of fungal pathogens as well as mycotoxins has considerably changed. As a result, some emerging mycotoxins have been shown to occur frequently in agricultural products. In this study, a sensitive and reliable method for the determination of 10 emerging mycotoxins (beauvericin, enniatin A, enniatin A1, enniatin B, enniatin B1, alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, altenuene, tentoxin, and tenuazonic acid) in 12 different food matrices (cereals, legumes, potatoes, meats, eggs, aquatic foods, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, sugars, beverages, and alcohol beverages) was developed and validated. After a simple extraction, a one-step sample clean-up by a HLB solid phase extraction (SPE) column was sufficient for all 12 food matrices prior to analysis with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Isotope internal standards ¹³C-TeA, TEN-d₃, and ¹³C-AFB2 were used for accurate quantification. Validation in terms of linearity, selectivity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision (intra and inter-day variability) were evaluated for the 10 mycotoxins in all selected matrices. The sensitivity varied from 0.0004 to 0.3 ng mL⁻¹ (limits of detection) and from 0.002 to 0.9 ng mL⁻¹ (limits of quantitation). The recoveries of 10 mycotoxins in fortified samples were from 60.6% to 164% including very low spiking levels in all 12 food matrices, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 12%. The proposed methodology was applied to the analysis of 60 samples collected from five provinces within the 6^th China Total Diet Study with the results discussed in detail. The advantages of sensitivity, accuracy, and robustness made it a powerful tool for emerging mycotoxin monitoring and dietary exposure assessment.

What is already known about this topic? Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic pollutants, which have multi-organ toxicity and potential health risk to humans. What is added by this report? The most commonly detected PFASs in the Sixth China Total Diet Study (TDS) samples were perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA). The mean estimated weekly intakes (EWIs) of PFOA, PFOS, and 6:2 Cl-PFESA in the Sixth TDS were 2.17, 2.72, and 2.75 ng/kg body weight per week, respectively. What are the implications for public health practice? The PFASs levels in some food category and dietary exposure still need to be continuously monitored, especially for 6:2 Cl-PFESA.

The sixth Total Diet Study (TDS) of China included a countrywide study to assess the health effects of MSG (monosodium glutamate). MSG detection, consumption analysis, and risk assessment were conducted on 168 samples from seven food categories of the most typical Chinese daily diet. The highest value of MSG in the daily diet of the Chinese population was 8.63 g/kg. An MSG intake of 17.63 mg/kg bw/d for the general population of China was obtained from content measurements combined with food consumption, while the data from the apparent consumption survey alone gave 40.20 mg/kg bw/d. The apparent consumption did not consider the loss of MSG during food cooking, resulting in an overestimate. To offer a global perspective, MSG content, food category contributions, and ingestion levels across nations were summarized and thoroughly investigated. A realistic, logical, and precise risk assessment protocol for MSG daily intake was developed in this article.

Nutrient elements are essential for human health. The intake of nutrient elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, Mo, and Cr) in the general Chinese population was comprehensively evaluated via a recent total diet study (2016–2019), covering more than two-thirds of the total population. The contents of nutrient elements in 288 composite dietary samples were determined by ICP-MS. The dietary sources, regional distribution, the relationship with the earth’s crust, dietary intake, and health effects were discussed. Plant foods were the main source of both macro-elements and trace elements, accounting for 68–96% of total intake. Trace elements in food were compatible with their abundance in the earth’s crust. Na intake reduced by 1/4 over the last decade but was still high. The average intake of Ca, Mg, Zn, and Se did not reach the health guidance values, while the average intake of K, P, Mn, Fe, Cu, Mo, and Cr fell within a reasonable range. No element exceeded the UL. However, an imbalance was identified in the dietary Na/K ratio and Ca/P ratio. This paper provides a most recent and national-representative assessment of nutrient element intake, indicating the significance of salt reduction and dietary structure optimization for the population.

What is already known about this topic? Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are persistent organic pollutants that are toxic to organisms. Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) have similar properties. Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) may be biomagnified through the food chain, thereby threatening human health. What is added by this report? The concentrations of SCCP and MCCP in each food sample were 5–265 and 4–306 ng/g, respectively. The estimated dietary exposure to CPs was relatively lower than the threshold set in the current guidelines. What are the implications for public health practice? The production and use of SCCP and MCCP have not been prohibited in China yet. Further studies are needed to assess the health risks through dietary exposure to CPs.