Survey of ochratoxin A in UK retail coffees

Abstract
A new method providing sensitivity to low concentrations was developed for the analysis of ochratoxin A in roast and ground and soluble coffee and a survey has been carried out to determine levels of ochratoxin A (OTA) in 100 samples of retail coffees available in the UK. The survey covered 80 soluble coffees (granulated, powdered, freeze‐dried), of which nine products were decaffeinated, and 20 roast and ground retail coffee samples. OTA was detected (≥ 0.1 μg/kg) in 64 samples of soluble coffee at levels ranging from 0.1 to 8 μg/kg. Seventeen samples of roast and ground coffee contained OTA at levels between 0.2 and 2.1 μg/kg. These results indicate that coffee products are not a major dietary source of OTA in the UK.

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