Article ID: FSTR-D-21-00221
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in 200 honeys and 63 bee pollens distributed in South Korea were investigated to evaluate their concentration and safety by simultaneous LC-MS/MS analysis. The risk of PAs’ intake was also evaluated. The average PA concentration in honey and bee pollen was lower in products produced in South Korea (honey, 4.2 μg/kg; bee pollen, 306.4 μg/kg) than in ones produced outside South Korea (honey, 24.3 μg/kg; bee pollen, 327.5 μg/kg). PA concentration in bee pollen was about 30 times higher than in honey. It was thought that bee pollen had a significant effect on PA concentration in honey, as honey and bee pollen showed similar PA detection tendencies. The daily exposure to PAs from honey intake was 0.0003 μg/kg body weight (b.w.) per day for all ages, and the safe margin of exposure (MOE) calculated based on BMDL10 237 μg/kg b.w./day was 722 759, which was a safe level (MOE 10 000 or more).