Ochratoxin A in coffee and coffee-based products: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and probabilistic risk assessment.

Abstract

Contamination of food with mycotoxins can pose harmful effects on the health of consumers in the long term. Coffee contamination with mycotoxins has become aglobal concern. This study attempted to meta-analyze theconcentration and prevalence of ochratoxin A (OTA) incoffee products and estimate consumers' health risks. The search was conducted among international databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, for 1 January 2010 to 1 May 2022. The concentration and prevalence of OTA in coffee products were meta-analyzed according to country subgroups. Health risk assessment was conducted based on Margin of Exposures (MOEs) using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) technique. The three countries that had the highest Pooled concentration of OTA in coffee were observed inChile (100.00%), Kuwait (100.00%), and France (100.00%). The overall prevalence of OTA in coffee products was 58.01%, 95% CI (48.37-67.39). The three countries that had the highest concentration of OTA werePhilippines (39.55μg/kg)>Turkey (39.32μg/kg)>and Panama (21.33μg/kg). The mean ofMOEs in the adult consumers in Panama (9,526) and the Philippines (8,873) was lower than 10,000, while themean of MOEs in other countries was higher than 10,000. Therefore, monitoring and control plans should be carried out in different countries.