Occurrence of ochratoxin A in Canadian wheat shipments, 2010-12.

Randomly selected domestic and export shipments (n = 1907) of Canadian durum and other wheat that occurred between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012 were analysed for ochratoxin A (OTA). The majority of samples did not contain OTA above the LOQ of 1 µg kg⁻¹. Only 37% of samples analysed contained quantifiable OTA; the median OTA of the positive results was 2.10 µg kg⁻¹. Canada Western Amber Durum shipments contained OTA more frequently, and at slightly higher concentrations, than Canada Western Red Spring wheat. For both wheat classes the frequency of OTA occurrence and mean concentrations appeared to increase in the lower grades, but these increases were not statistically significant. A periodic trend of a late summer increase of mean monthly OTA concentrations in shipments appears tied to the cycle of producer deliveries of wheat to primary grain elevators.

Single laboratory evaluation of a planar waveguide-based system for a simple simultaneous analysis of four mycotoxins in wheat.

The accuracy and precision of a commercially available system based on an indirect competitive immunoassay and planar waveguide technology was evaluated for the analysis of deoxynivalenol (DON), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEAR), and T-2 toxin in wheat. The system generally performed well at the tested concentrations that were close to the regulatory limits of DON and OTA in wheat. The mean percent recovery of OTA from certified and in-house reference materials ranged from 90 to 111 %, with a relative standard deviation of 8-16 % (at 4.2, 4.9, and 7.0 µg/kg). Mean percent recoveries of DON ranged from 75 to 103 %, with a relative standard deviation of 14-20 % (at 610, 940, and 1300 µg/kg). As analyte concentrations approached the lower limits of the working range of 3 µg/kg OTA and 400 µg/kg DON, the mean percent recoveries and relative standard deviation increased for both DON and OTA. A lack of reference materials precluded a thorough evaluation of the method for the analysis of ZEAR and T-2. The particular strength of the technology was that multiple mycotoxins were analyzed simultaneously.