Survey of Canadian retail coffees for ochratoxin A.
One-hundred and one specimens of coffee were gathered from retail outlets across Canada and analysed for ochratoxin A. Seventy-one specimens were roasted beans or roasted ground coffee, and 30 were instant (or 'soluble') coffees. All samples were extracted with methanol-sodium bicarbonate. The extracts were cleaned up either by immunoaffinity column chromatography or by a combination of solid-phase extraction and immunoaffinity column chromatography. Ochratoxin A was quantified by liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection. The minimum quantifiable level was 0.1 ng g(-1). Ochratoxin A was present, above the minimum quantifiable level, in 42 (59%) of 71 beans and ground coffee and in 20 (67%) of 30 instant coffees. The mean ochratoxin A level in the positive samples of beans and ground coffee was 0.6 ng g(-1), and the mean level in the positive samples of instant coffee was 1.1 ng g(-1).
Lombaert
G A
GA
Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch, 510 Lagimodière Blvd, Winnipeg, MB, R2J 3Y1, Canada. Gary_Lombaert@hc-sc.gc.ca
Pellaers
P
P
Chettiar
M
M
Lavalee
D
D
Scott
P M
PM
Lau
B P-Y
BP
D002170:Canada; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003069:Coffee / Q000737:chemistry*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety / Q000592:standards; D005506:Food Contamination; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D002273:Carcinogens; D003069:Coffee; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A