Background and Objectives: Non-sanitary conditions during the drying, transport and storage stages in the production of spices could introduce mycotoxin contamination. The aim of the current study was to determine the concentration of ochratoxin A (OTA) in 92 commercial spices (including red pepper, black pepper, turmeric and cinnamon) imported to Iran. Materials and Methods: OTA levels were...

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This article proposes statistical tools for quantitative evaluation of the risk due to the presence of some particular contaminants in food. We focus on the estimation of the probability of the exposure to exceed the so-called provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), when both consumption data and contamination data are independently available. A Monte Carlo approximation of the plug-in esti...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine is linked to contamination by several Aspergillus species. In 2003-2007, grape samples collected in Italy were surveyed for the presence of OTA and OTA-producing fungi. A. niger aggregate was the prevalent species. A. carbonarius, which is considered the main source of OTA in grapes, was mostly found in Southern Italy. The year and the environment had an important inf...