Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a toxic metabolite, produced by Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium verrucosum, that is nephrotoxic and possibly carcinogenic to humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate OTA contamination in batches of green coffee destined for export. Analysis of 80 green coffee samples indicated that, although a high incidence (74%) of OTA contamination (0.2-13.5 ng g⁻¹) was recorded, the overall mean OTA level (2.17 ± 2.45 ng g⁻¹) was low. The highest recorded OTA concentration was 13.5 ng g⁻¹ in a robusta cherry sample and only five samples had OTA above 5 ng g⁻¹ level. The mean OTA level was higher in cherry (range: 1.63 ± 0.97-4.8 ± 3.90) than parchment (0.56 ± 0.35-1.10 ± 0.28), indicating a correlation between processing method and OTA contamination.
Keywords: Aspergillus; coffee; high performance liquid chromatography; ochratoxin A.