Presence of ochratoxin A in human milk in relation to dietary intake

Abstract

Individual and geographical variations in ochratoxin A (OA) levels in human blood and milk samples may be due to differences in dietary habits. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between OA contamination of human milk and dietary intake. Human milk samples were collected from 80 Norwegian women. The usual food intake during the last year was recorded using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The concentration of OA in the human milk was determined by HPLC (detection limit 10 ng/l). Seventeen (21%) out of 80 human milk samples contained OA in the range 10 -182 ng/l. The women with a high dietary intake of liver paste (liverwurst, liver pâté) and cakes (cookies, fruitcakes, chocolate cakes etc.) were more likely to have OA-contaminated milk. The risk of OA contamination was also increased by the intake of juice (all kinds). In addition, the results indicate that breakfast cereals, processed meat products, and cheese could be important contributors to dietary OA intake. OA contamination of the milk was unrelated to smoking, age, parity, and anthropometric data other than body weight.

Maternal dietary habits and mycotoxin occurrence in human mature milk

“…Of note, cereals based foods are the major contributors to human exposure to OTA, accounting for 50% to the mean European dietary intake [10], whereas pork meat is the most important dietary source of OTA among animal products [20]. These findings are in overall agreement with previous observations by Turconi et al [21], as specifically concerns bread, and with Skaug et al [22,23] for what regards cereals based foods and pork products. The possibility that other food groups, such as alcoholic beverages, can trigger the OTA presence in human mature milk is intriguing, however, our data do not allow definitive conclusions.…”

Biomarkers of human exposure to ochratoxin A

“…Rosner et al (2000) could not detect OTA in 27 samples of human milk (<0.06 ng ml À1 ). A study in Norway, where 17/80 samples of human milk contained OTA in the range 0.01-0.182 ng ml À1 , showed that women with a high intake of liver paste and cakes were significantly more likely to have OTA in their milk (Skaug et al 2001). Intake of juice (all kinds) was also a significant risk factor for OTA in the milk.…”

Ochratoxin A and Aristolochic Acid Involvement in Nephropathies and Associated Urothelial Tract Tumours

“…It has recently been demonstrated that OTA is present in spores and airborne dust (109)(110). A study conducted of three dairy farms in Norway (110) showed OTA in airborne dust ranging between 0.2 µg kg -1 and 70 µg kg -1 , with an average level of 27.5 µg kg -1 .…”