Ochratoxin A determination in ham by immunoaffinity clean-up and a quick fluorometric method

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Mycotoxicology

Background:

• Ochratoxin A (OA) is a mycotoxin found in various foods, including cured meats.
• Accurate detection of OA is crucial for food safety and regulatory compliance.
• Existing methods for OA determination can be time-consuming and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, rapid, and reliable method for OA determination in ham.
• To compare the performance of the new method with a standard HPLC technique.
• To assess OA contamination levels in naturally occurring ham samples.

Main Methods:

• Basic methanolic extraction of OA from ham samples.
• Immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up for sample purification.
• Fluorometric determination for quantifying OA levels.
• Comparison with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).

Main Results:

• The fluorometric method achieved a mean recovery of 83% +/- 6% for OA spiked at 0.7-9.7 microg kg(-1).
• The detection limit for the fluorometric method was 0.7 microg kg(-1).
• A strong correlation (R(2) = 0.980) was observed between the fluorometric and HPLC methods for naturally contaminated samples.
• 64% of 42 tested ham samples had OA levels below the Italian guideline of 1.0 microg kg(-1), with a maximum of 2.3 microg kg(-1).

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorometric method is a simple, rapid, and accurate alternative for OA determination in ham.
• The method is suitable for routine analysis and monitoring of OA contamination in food products.
• The study confirmed the presence of OA in ham, with most samples below regulatory limits, highlighting the method's practical application.