Occurence of Ochratoxin A and Biogenic Amines in Croatian Commercial Red Wines.

Paula Žurga,Nada Vahčić,Mara Banović,Igor Pasković,Mladenka Malenica Staver

doi:10.3390/foods8080348

Abstract

Food safety is one of the main concerns in the world and in wine it depends mostly on metabolites of microbial origin. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of natural contaminants, ochratoxin A and biogenic amines (cadaverine, histamine, putrescine and tyramine), in Croatian commercial red wines originating from different Croatian wine-making regions. Ochratoxin A was detected in 92.8% of samples, however its concentrations in all samples were more than 10-fold lower than the limit set by the European Union (2 µg/kg), marking these wines as safe for consumption. The frequency of occurrence and measured concentrations of ochratoxin A were higher in wines produced in southern regions with highest values obtained in wines from southern Dalmatian islands. All samples were contaminated with cadaverine and putrescine, while 88.2% and 82.7% were contaminated with histamine and tyramine, respectively. Histamine concentrations ranged from below the limit of detection to 8.5 mg/L. Higher histamine concentrations were measured in wines with higher pH values which coincided with southern geographic origin. These results reinforce the need for routine detection and quantification of biogenic amines in Croatian wines to achieve better control of vinification and minimize their formation.

Highlights

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widely distributed mycotoxin produced as a secondary metabolite by few filamentous fungi from Aspergillus and Penicillium genera
A wide range of Croatian monovarietal red wines was analyzed for OTA and Biogenic amines (BA) contamination
Monitoring of OTA concentrations in wine is of great importance due to high incidence of its occurrence in wine as well as because of its mutagenic and toxic potential

Summary

Introduction

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widely distributed mycotoxin produced as a secondary metabolite by few filamentous fungi from Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. OTA occurs in cereals, beans, nuts, spices, dried fruits, coffee, milk, beer, grape and grape derived products [1]. After cereals, the major source of daily OTA intake in Europe [2]. Concentration of OTA in wine depends on climate (especially on temperature and relative humidity in the month before harvest), grape-growing conditions (including use of fungicides), percentage of damaged berries before maceration and type of maceration [3,4]. It was found that its concentration in wine is dependent on the latitude of the production region: Wines produced from grapes grown in lower latitudes are more frequent in occurrence and greater in concentration of OTA contamination [3]. Since the presence of OTA in blood of healthy individuals confirms continuous and widespread exposure [7], European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has set the

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