title: Grading of fermented and dried cocoa beans using fungal contamination, ergosterol index and ochratoxin a production.
abstract: Sixty four samples of cocoa beans replicated in quadruplicates were collected from five warehouses from southwest Nigeria and examined for fungal loads, ergosterol and ochratoxin A The levels of all the variables obtained were further used as indices for cocoa grading into food quality, FoQ (erg < 5 mg/kg; OTA < 1 µg/kg), feed quality, FeQ (erg = 5~10 mg/kg; OTA in the range of 1.1~3.11 µg/kg), Screen for mycotoxin, SFM (erg = 10~20 mg/kg; OTA from 3.12 µg/kg and above) with fuel quality, FuQ having erg > 20 mg/kg and OTA > 6.12 µg/kg. Using these ergosterol indices, 18.75% of the cocoa beans examined was classified with the FoQ, 18.75% with the FuQ while 31.25% was classified with both the FeQ and the SFM, respectively. In conclusion, ergosterol can be used as a rapid index to grade fermented, dried cocoa beans meant for export.
authors: Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, PMB, 5244, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors: S O
authors: SO
authors: Aroyeun
authors: G O
authors: GO
authors: Adegoke
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Varga
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Teren
keywords: Feed; Food; Fuel; Mycotoxin; Quality
references: Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2004 Sep;207(4):379-85
references: 15471102
references: Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2004;44(5):349-51
references: 15540647
references: Food Addit Contam. 2004 May;21(5):479-87
references: 15204549
references: Lett Appl Microbiol. 2008 Jan;46(1):113-8
references: 18086192
references: Mycopathologia. 1996;134(3):171-6
references: 8981783
references: J Assoc Off Anal Chem. 1989 May-Jun;72(3):457-62
references: 2745371
references: Acta Biol Hung. 2002;53(3):381-8
references: 12371617
references: Int J Food Microbiol. 2001 Dec 4;71(1):29-34
references: 11764889
references: J Food Prot. 1999 Jun;62(6):686-90
references: 10382663
references: Phytopathology. 1999 Nov;89(11):1028-37
references: 18944658
references: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 Feb;59(2):552-5
references: 8434921