title: Food coloring agents and plant food supplements derived from Vitis vinifera: a new source of human exposure to ochratoxin A.
abstract: Grape pomaces are increasingly being used as starting material in the industrial production of plant food supplements (PFS), food coloring, and tartrates, but they are at risk of ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination, a mycotoxin with nephrotoxic and carcinogenic effects. We analyzed 24 commercial PFS and 13 food coloring samples derived from Vitis vinifera, mainly pomaces, using a HPLC-FLD method for OTA determination. OTA was found in 75% of PFS samples and 69% of food coloring samples at levels of <1.16-20.23 μg/kg and <1.16-32.00 μg/kg, respectively. The four commercial leavening agents containing tartrates were found to be negative for OTA. All eight samples collected in two distilleries that use grape pomaces and wine lees to produce tartrates and other byproducts contained OTA at levels of <1.16-240.93 μg/kg. The high incidence of OTA contamination in PFS and food coloring agents derived from V. vinifera suggests that maximum permitted level(s) should be established for this mycotoxin in these products.
authors.affiliation: †National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solfrizzo
authors.affiliation: †National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Piemontese
authors.affiliation: †National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gambacorta
authors.affiliation: †National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zivoli
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Chemistry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Longobardi
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D027843:Vitis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014920:Wine
chemical_list: D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A
keywords: Vitis vinifera; food coloring agents; grape pomaces; ochratoxin A; plant food supplements; tartrates