Bio-control on the contamination of Ochratoxin A in food: Current research and future prospects

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite of several fungi and widely exists in various species of foods. The establishment of effective methods for OTA reduction is a key measure to ensure food processing and human health. This article reviews the current research of OTA reduction by biological approaches, summarizes the characteristics and efficiency of them, and evaluates the transformation pathways and metabolites safety of each degradation technology. The shortcomings of various methods are pointed out and future prospects are also proposed. Biological methods are the most promising approaches for OTA control. The defect of them is the long processing time and the growth of microbial cells may affect the product quality. Therefore, the control of OTA contamination should be conducted according to the food processing and their product types. Besides, it is significant for the exploitation of new strains, enzyme and novel adsorbents.