Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Red Paprika for Retail Sale in Spain: Occurrence and Evaluation of a Simultaneous Analytical Method

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 751 - 756
• Main Authors: MIGUEL HERANNDEZ HIERRO, J, GARCIA-VILLANOVA, Rafael J, RODRIGUEZ TORRERO, Purificacion, TORUNO FONSECA, Ivania M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 13-02-2008
• Subjects: aflatoxins; Aflatoxins - analysis; Analytical Methods; Aroma and flavouring agent industries; Biological and medical sciences; Capsicum - chemistry; Capsicum annuum; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; European Union; food analysis; Food Analysis - methods; food composition; food contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; Food toxicology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; grocery stores; immunoaffinity column; Immunoassay; Mycotoxins; ochratoxin A; Ochratoxins - analysis; paprika; peppers; product evaluation; Reproducibility of Results; retail marketing; simultaneous food analysis; Spain; Spanish paprika; standards of identity; Spain; Europe; aflatoxins; ochratoxin A; simultaneous food analysis; Spanish paprika; immunoaffinity column; Mycotoxins; Evaluation; Ochratoxin; Mycotoxin; Spice; Red; Toxin; Sales; Paprika; Surveillance; Analytical method; Spanish; Aflatoxin; Food
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf073002c

Aflatoxins are the only mycotoxins with legal limits for spices in the European Union. A further limit for ochratoxin A is expected to be adopted soon. Thus, rapid simultaneous methods for quantifying the five mycotoxins are sought. Liquid extraction, immunoaffinity column cleanup, and HPLC-FD with a wavelength program were optimized for the analysis of the five mycotoxins in paprika, a complex fatty matrix. The limits of detection ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 µg/kg. Repeatability (RSDr) ranged from 7.9 to 13.4%, and recoveries were between 61.4 and 77.8%, in both cases at the lower spike level. Aflatoxins, when found, were far below the two legal limits of 5 µg/kg for aflatoxin B1 and 10 µg/kg for total aflatoxins. Ochratoxin A was more frequently found, with a mean of 11.8 µg/kg, and in a more varied range (SD = 18.9 µg/kg). When an automation of the precolumn derivatization step was attempted, the procedure proved to be unfeasible, but experience derived from this trial and from the general employment of this reaction enables some comments on the possibilities and limitations of this procedure and on research for an alternative one to be made.