Chapter 10
Probabilistic Exposure Assessment
to Phycotoxins by Recreational Shellfish
Harvesters: Results and Influence of Shellfish
Species and the Cooking Process
Cyndie Picot, G. Limon, G. Durand, Dominique Parent-Massin,
and Alain-Claude Roudot
Introduction
The past few decades have seen an increase in the frequency, concentrations, and
geographic distribution of marine algal toxins (phycotoxins), secondary metabolites
produced by marine microalgae (phytoplankton). These phycotoxins are considered
as an important food safety issue because of their accumulation by shellfish until
becoming unfit for human consumption (Van Dolah 2000). However quantitative
exposure assessments to phycotoxins aimed at evaluating the likely intakes of
phycotoxins via shellfish consumption are almost non existent (EFSA 2008, 2009,
2010; Picot et al. 2011a). Concerning phycotoxins, a total population exposure
assessment has almost no interest because shellfish consumers are a minority group,
and averaging the total population exposure will be low. So, it is of more interest
to define and study an at-risk sub-population, which will give an upper threshold of
the exposure. Recreational shellfish harvesters appear to be an at risk subpopulation
because a priori they consumed a larger quantity of seafood than the general
population, because their practice is both recreational and a cheap source of food
C. Picot • D. Parent-Massin
Laboratoire de Toxicologie Alimentaire et Cellulaire (EA 3880), Universit´ e Europ´ eenne
de Bretagne – Universit´ e de Bretagne Occidentale (UEB-UBO), 6 Av. Victor Le Gorgeu –
CS93837, 29238 Brest, Cedex 3, France
e-mail: cyndie.picot@univ-brest.fr; dominique.parent-massin@univ-brest.fr
G. Limon • G. Durand
IDHESA Bretagne Oc´ eane, Technopˆ ole de Brest-Iroise, BP 52-120 Avenue de Rochon,
29280 Plouzan´ e, France
e-mail: gwendolina.limon@idhesa.fr; gael.durand@idhesa.fr
A.-C. Roudot ()
Laboratoire de Toxicologie Alimentaire et Cellulaire (EA 3880), UFR Sciences
et Techniques, Universit´ e de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 Av. Victor Le Gorgeu – CS93837,
29238 Brest, Cedex 3, France
e-mail: alain-claude.roudot@univ-brest.fr
G. Sauv´ e (ed.), Molluscan Shellfish Safety, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6588-7 10,
© Springer ScienceCBusiness Media Dordrecht 2014
111
Probabilistic Exposure Assessment
to Phycotoxins by Recreational Shellfish
Harvesters: Results and Influence of Shellfish
Species and the Cooking Process
Cyndie Picot, G. Limon, G. Durand, Dominique Parent-Massin,
and Alain-Claude Roudot
Introduction
The past few decades have seen an increase in the frequency, concentrations, and
geographic distribution of marine algal toxins (phycotoxins), secondary metabolites
produced by marine microalgae (phytoplankton). These phycotoxins are considered
as an important food safety issue because of their accumulation by shellfish until
becoming unfit for human consumption (Van Dolah 2000). However quantitative
exposure assessments to phycotoxins aimed at evaluating the likely intakes of
phycotoxins via shellfish consumption are almost non existent (EFSA 2008, 2009,
2010; Picot et al. 2011a). Concerning phycotoxins, a total population exposure
assessment has almost no interest because shellfish consumers are a minority group,
and averaging the total population exposure will be low. So, it is of more interest
to define and study an at-risk sub-population, which will give an upper threshold of
the exposure. Recreational shellfish harvesters appear to be an at risk subpopulation
because a priori they consumed a larger quantity of seafood than the general
population, because their practice is both recreational and a cheap source of food
C. Picot • D. Parent-Massin
Laboratoire de Toxicologie Alimentaire et Cellulaire (EA 3880), Universit´ e Europ´ eenne
de Bretagne – Universit´ e de Bretagne Occidentale (UEB-UBO), 6 Av. Victor Le Gorgeu –
CS93837, 29238 Brest, Cedex 3, France
e-mail: cyndie.picot@univ-brest.fr; dominique.parent-massin@univ-brest.fr
G. Limon • G. Durand
IDHESA Bretagne Oc´ eane, Technopˆ ole de Brest-Iroise, BP 52-120 Avenue de Rochon,
29280 Plouzan´ e, France
e-mail: gwendolina.limon@idhesa.fr; gael.durand@idhesa.fr
A.-C. Roudot ()
Laboratoire de Toxicologie Alimentaire et Cellulaire (EA 3880), UFR Sciences
et Techniques, Universit´ e de Bretagne Occidentale, 6 Av. Victor Le Gorgeu – CS93837,
29238 Brest, Cedex 3, France
e-mail: alain-claude.roudot@univ-brest.fr
G. Sauv´ e (ed.), Molluscan Shellfish Safety, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6588-7 10,
© Springer ScienceCBusiness Media Dordrecht 2014
111