Prevalence and concentration of aflatoxins in sesame seeds: global systematic review and meta-analysis and human risk assessment.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are key contaminants in sesame seeds, threatening global food safety. Databases including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for records from January 1, 2005, to December 14, 2025. This study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine aflatoxin prevalence and concentration in sesame seeds and assessed human health risk using the Margin of Exposure (MOE) approach. The pooled prevalence order was AFB1 (28.93%) > AFB2 (18.09%) > AFG2 (10.80%) > AFG1 (9.95%), while concentration order was AFG1 (32.290 µg/kg) > AFB1 (28.302 µg/kg) > AFB2 (3.183 µg/kg) > AFG2 (0.131 µg/kg). White sesame seeds showed higher prevalence than black. Monte Carlo simulation indicated consumers in nearly all studied countries face unacceptable health risk, with MOE values well below 10,000. Seven countries for adults and Iran and Malaysia for children fell below this safety threshold. Nigeria, Egypt, and Pakistan showed the highest risk levels across age groups. The findings highlight the need for strict monitoring and control strategies along the supply chain to reduce exposure and protect health.