Fate of ochratoxin A in the processing of whole wheat grain during extrusion

• Published in: Food additives and contaminants Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 488 - 497
• Main Authors: Scudamore, K.A, Banks, J.N, Guy, R.C.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.05.2004; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Carcinogens - analysis; Cereal and baking product industries; Drug Stability; Edible Grain - chemistry; extruded foods; extrusion; food contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food Handling - methods; Food industries; food pathogens; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; mass flow; microbial contamination; microbial detection; ochratoxin A; Ochratoxins - analysis; processing; screws; secondary metabolites; temperature; Triticum - chemistry; Triticum aestivum; velocity; water content; wheat; Toxin; Ochratoxin; ochratoxin A; Mycotoxin; Cereal; Extrusion; processing; Wheat
• ISSN: 0265-203X; 1464-5122
• DOI: 10.1080/02652030410001670166

Ochratoxin A in cereal foods and some other products is controlled in the European Community by recent legislation with the objective of minimizing consumer exposure to this mycotoxin. Few studies have examined losses during processing. The stability of ochratoxin A during extrusion of contaminated wholemeal wheat flour was examined using pilot scale equipment. Factors examined were temperature, moisture content, screw speed and residence time. Ochratoxin A was partially stable with breakdown, increasing with temperature and moisture content. However, even under the harshest conditions likely to be used in commercial practice, maximum loss was no greater than 40%, with a residence time of about 40 s. The chemical properties of ochratoxin A suggest that breakdown might be affected by changes in pH and that further studies are necessary to investigate this possibility.