Four-Year Surveillance for Ochratoxin A and Fumonisins in Retail Foods in Japan

Abstract

Between 2004 and 2007 we examined foods from Japanese retail shops for contamination with ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisins B(1), B(2), and B(3). A total of 1,358 samples of 27 different products were examined for OTA, and 831 samples of 16 different products were examined for fumonisins. The limits of quantification ranged from 0.01 to 0.5 microg/kg for OTA and 2 to 10 microg/kg for the fumonisins. OTA was detected in amounts higher than limits of quantification in wheat flour, pasta, oatmeal, rye, buckwheat flour and dried buckwheat noodles, raisins, wine, beer, coffee beans and coffee products, chocolate, cocoa, and coriander. OTA was found in more than 90% of the samples of instant coffee and cocoa, and the highest concentration of OTA, 12.5 microg/kg, was detected in raisins. The concentration of OTA in oatmeal, rye, raisins, wine, and roasted coffee beans varied remarkably from year to year. Fumonisins were detected in frozen and canned corn, popcorn grain, corn grits, cornflakes, corn soups, corn snacks, beer, soybeans, millet, and asparagus. The highest concentrations of fumonisins B(1), B(2), and B(3) were detected in corn grits (1,670, 597, and 281 microg/kg, respectively). All of the samples of corn grits were contaminated with fumonisins, and more than 80% of the samples of popcorn grain and corn snacks contained fumonisins. OTA and fumonisins were detected in several food products in Japan; however, although Japan has not set regulatory levels for these mycotoxins, their concentrations were relatively low.

Analysis of cocoa products for ochratoxin A and aflatoxins

“…OTA is found in grains and many other kinds of foodstuffs (Bayman and Baker 2006; Clark and Snedeker 2006); these include cocoa and cocoa products (reviewed by Codex Alimentarius Commission 2007, 2008; Tabata et al 2008; Chung et al 2009; Aoyama et al 2010; Brera et al 2011; Jayeola et al 2011; Nwagu and Ire 2011; Turcotte and Scott 2011; Copetti et al 2012a, 2013; Mounjouenpou et al 2012). The European Commission (EC) has stated that it does not appear necessary to set a maximum level for OTA in cocoa and cocoa products (European Commission 2010).…”

Ochratoxin A in instant coffee in Italy

“…There is extensive documentation of OTA as a contaminant of coffee, green and roasted coffee beans having been analyzed by many Authors (Aoyama et al, 2010;Batista et al, 2009;Bresch, Urbanek, & Hell, 2000;Coronel, Marin, Cano, Ramos, & Sanchis, 2011;Jørgensen, 1998;Lombaert et al, 2002;Patel, Hazel, Winterton, & Gleadle, 1997;Quintana Guzmán, Antillón Guerrero, & Chaves, 2007;Ramesh & Vasanthi, 2005;Studer-Rohr, Dietrich, Schlatter, & Schlatter, 1995;Terada, Tsubouchi, Yamamoto, Hisada, & Sakabe, 1986;Urbano, Taniwaki, de, Leitao, & Vicentini, 2001;Van der Stegen et al, 1997). The fate of OTA during roasting and decaffeination processes has also been investigated (Blanc, Pittet, Muñoz-Box, & Viani, 1998;La Pera et al, 2008;Micco, Grossi, Miraglia, & Brera, 1989;Nehad, Farag, Kawther, Abdel-Samed, & Naguib, 2005;Romani, Pinnavaia, & Dalla Rosa, 2003).…”

“…In Japan, Aoyama et al (2010) found OTA in 90% of 63 samples analyzed in the 2004/07 period, the levels ranging from 0.1 to 4.23 mg/kg; Kawamura (2005) observed the presence of OTA in 12 samples, the levels ranging from 0.11 to 4.41 mg/kg; and, more recently, Tabata et al (2008) detected the toxin in 5 out of 7 soluble coffee samples, at levels of 0.16e1.1 mg/kg. In Brazil, Leoni, Valente Soares, and Oliveira (2000) found OTA in 16 instant coffees at levels ranging from 0.5 to 5.1 mg/kg; Prado et al (2000) observed OTA occurrence at levels between 0.31 and 1.78 mg/kg in 8 out 10 analyzed samples; and de Almeida et al (2007) found OTA in 81 samples out of 82, (98.8%) at levels ranging from 0.17 to 6.29 ng/g.…”

“…In a survey conducted in Spain Burdaspal and Legarda (1998) found that all 9 samples of the investigated soluble coffee contained OTA at levels between 0.19 and 1.08 mg/kg. Also ready-todrink coffee, a beverage popular in Japan, has been investigated: Noba, Uyama, and Mochizuki (2009) found OTA in 17 out of 30 samples at 0.01e0.04 mg/L levels, Aoyama et al (2010) observed OTA occurrence at a mean level of 0.03 mg/L in 11 of 41 samples examined, and Kawamura (2005), analyzing 10 canned coffees, found the toxin in 9 samples at levels ranging from 0.005 to 0.133 mg/L.…”

Avaliação de biomarcadores da exposição humana à fumonisina B1 nos alimentos em municípios dos estados de São Paulo e Santa Catarina, Brasil

“…Segundo Shephard et al (2011), a contaminação em milho continua sendo um problema global, entretanto as fumonisinas são encontradas também em outros alimentos como trigo (KUSHIRO et al, 2009;MONBALIU et al, 2010), mandioca (MANJULA et al, 2009), uvas e derivados como vinho (MOGENSEN et al, 2010), cerveja (AOYAMA et al, 2010), e aspargos (WAŚKIEWICZ et al, 2010).…”