title: Ochratoxin A levels in human milk and related food samples: an exposure assessment.
abstract: Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin detected in a variety of food and feeds mostly from countries with temperate or continental climate, because the fungi that produce it, mainly Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium verrucosum, and Penicillium viridicatum, can grow under a great variety of climate conditions. The aim of this article was, firstly, to confirm the occurrence of OA in human milk in Italy. Then, a preliminary calculation of OA intake via human milk was made, from ingested food. For this investigation, food and milk samples were collected, continuously for a week, from 4 lactating mothers. The obtained results revealed a significant exposure of sucklings and mothers to OA levels higher than the tolerable daily intake as estimated from animal models. On the basis of these data, a major effort in planning surveillance and research programs to control OA contamination in food, feed, and biological fluids should be pursued.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superiore di Sanita, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miraglia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Dominicis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brera
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corneli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cava
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menghetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miraglia
mesh_terms: D001515:Beer / Q000032:analysis; D004032:Diet; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009183:Mycotoxins; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A