The Problem

Ochratoxin A (OTA)

OTA in foodstuffs and associated regulations

In 1995 a review of worldwide regulations for mycotoxins completed by FAO indicated that few countries had any regulations for OTA ('Worldwide regulations for mycotoxins 1995 - A compendium', 1997, FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No.64). However, detection in blood and breast milk has demonstrated human exposure to ochratoxin A, and the presence of OTA in foodstuffs is clearly undesirable. Risk assessments have been carried out by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), as well as in Canada and Scandanavia.

Both JECFA, and the more recent 2002 SCOOP study on the 'Assessment of dietary intake of ochratoxin A by the population of EU member states', indicate that coffee is a relatively minor contributor to the overall OTA intake in Europe.

Cereals are the main contributors (50%) followed by wine (13%), coffee (10%), spices (8%), others (6%), beer (5%), cocoa (4%), dried fruits (3%) and meat (1%). Fruit juice provides the main contribution from the category 'Others':

Taken from report of experts participating in Task 3.2.7: Assessment of dietary intake of Ochratoxin A by the population of EU member states, January 2002, Figure 18, p.152.

At its 56^th meeting in 2001, JECFA calculated the mean OTA intake to be 45 ng/kg bw/week, below its Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake level of 100 ng/kg body weight/week. The Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) Working group on Contaminants sugggested a Tolerable Daily Intake of 5ng/kg bw/day in 1998. Exposure as identified in the SCOOP study therefore seems to be below the values indicated by both SCF and JECFA.

Additionally, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has produced a "Code of Practice for the Prevention (Reduction) of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals, including Annexes on Ochratoxin A, Zearalenone, Fumonisin and Tricothecenes" (CAC/RCP 51-2003). However, within the CODEX system a maximum level for OTA in coffee has not yet been discussed.

In the context of consumer protection and food safety, regulatory authorities in some coffee consuming countries have set maximum limits for OTA in coffee in recent years. For green coffee individual country legislation limits range between 5 and 20 ppb; between 3 and 10ppb for roasted coffee; and between 4 and 10ppb for soluble coffee.

In the early nineties, EU authorities in Brussels initiated a programme for the harmonization of regulations relating to mycotoxins in foodstuffs - including maximum limits for OTA in foodstuffs such as coffee. In February 2004, the European Commission set advisory limits for OTA in roasted (5ppb) and soluble coffee (10ppb) (see Summary Report from the Toxicological Safety Meeting, Standing Committee on the Food Chain).

It is important to understand the factors leading to OTA formation in conjunction with legislative limits. In this way strategies can be formulated to minimise levels of OTA contamination throughout the production, processing, handling, and transportation stages of the coffee commodity chain. Any potential health risk to consumers can thus be minimised, by ensuring that any agreed minimum levels of daily exposure to OTA are met.