Exposure assessment to ochratoxin A in Catalonia (Spain) based on the consumption of cereals, nuts, coffee, wine, and beer.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) was analysed in composite samples of cereal-based baby foods, beer, breakfast cereals (corn- and rice and wheat-based), loaf bread, peanuts and pistachios. Foodstuffs were collected in hypermarkets and supermarkets from 12 cities in the Spanish region of Catalonia, and composite samples were prepared for analysis involving liquid-liquid extraction, followed by immunoaffinity column clean-up and HPLC with fluorescence detection. Consumption data for the selected foodstuffs were collected by means of a food-frequency questionnaire. The studied population was grouped by age in infants, children, adolescents and adults; and exposure to OTA through the specified foodstuffs, and through wine and coffee, was assessed. Exposure assessment was done through deterministic and probabilistic modelling of the contamination and consumption data. OTA occurrence and mean of positive samples (ng g(-1) or ng ml(-1), for beer) were the following: 8.7% and 0.233 in baby foods; 88.7% and 0.022 in beer; 2.8% and 0.728 in corn-based breakfast cereals; 25% and 0.293 in wheat-based breakfast cereals; 12.9% and 0.283 in loaf bread; 41.7% and 0.241 in peanuts; and 2.9% and 0.228 in pistachios. The median estimated daily intake of OTA through the foodstuffs by each age group were below the latest provisional tolerable daily intakes (PTDIs) of 17 and 14 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1) recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2006 and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2007, respectively, ranging from 1% and 2% of those values in adolescents and children, to 3% and 11% in adults and infants.

Ochratoxin A and its metabolite ochratoxin alpha in urine and assessment of the exposure of inhabitants of Lleida, Spain.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) as well as its metabolite ochratoxin α (OTα) were detected in human urine in order to assess the exposure to OTA of a group of 72 adult inhabitants of the city of Lleida (Spain). Urine samples were enzymatically treated; OTA and OTα were separated by liquid-liquid extraction, and detected by HPLC-fluorescence. Exposure to OTA was also evaluated by the estimation of its daily intake from food contamination data from the literature and from food consumption data provided by the participants, who filled in a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and a three-day food consumption record (3DR). OTA occurrence (12.5%, limit of detection=0.034 ng/mL) was lower than OTα occurrence (61.1%, limit of detection=0.023 ng/mL). The range of concentrations was 0.057-0.562 ng/mL and 0.056-2.894 ng/mL for OTA and for OTα, respectively. It could be observed for positive samples that the FFQ data were related to the OTA concentration in urine, whereas the 3DR data were related to the OTα levels in urine. The OTA estimated daily intake of the participants was lower than 30% of the latest provisional tolerable daily intake of 14 ng/kg body weight/day in the worst cases of exposure.

Assessment of the exposure to ochratoxin A in the province of Lleida, Spain.

Exposure to ochratoxin A (OTA) of 279 blood donors of nine localities of the province of Lleida (Spain) was assessed. OTA levels were detected in the blood plasma of the participants by HPLC-fluorescence detection with previous clean-up of the samples by immunoaffinity columns. Limit of detection was 0.075 ng/mL. Participants answered a questionnaire on consumption frequency of foods possibly contaminated with OTA. Foodstuffs were grouped: cereals and derived products, dried fruits and derived products, cacao and derived products, grape juice, wine, beer and coffee. The range of positive samples was 0.11-8.68 ng/mL and the median was 0.54 ng/mL. No differences were found between OTA plasma levels in men and women, neither in the different localities, but there were significant differences among three age groups. Highest consumed foods were cereals and derived products, followed by beer and wine. No correlation was found between food consumption and OTA plasma levels. OTA daily intake was estimated based on OTA plasma concentrations and on the food consumption data combined with food contamination data taken from the literature. Mean values were 1.69 and 1.96 ng/kg body weight/day, respectively. These values are below the latest proposed tolerable daily intake of 14 ng/kg body weight/day.