Occurrence of ochratoxin A and ochratoxigenic mycoflora in corn and corn based foods and feeds in some South American countries

Abstract

Cereals and cereal- derived products constitute the base of human and animal feeding in South American countries. This review attempts to give an overview of the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) and potential sources of ochratoxin A contamination in these products. We also discuss the environmental conditions as humidity and temperature in the colonization of the substrates by Aspergillus section Nigri isolated from corn kernels. The available information on the ochratoxigenic mycoflora and OTA presence in corn, corn based food and feed is limited. Only few surveys have been carried out in Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil; which showed that Aspergillus niger aggregate and A. ochraceus species would be the main source of OTA. It´s possible to emphasize that, the specie A. carbonarius has not been isolated from these substrates and P. verrucosum was isolated only from pig feeds of Argentinean samples in low percentage. Studies are in progress in Latin America about the ecophysiology of ochratoxigenic fungi and OTA occurrence to reduce the impact of this toxin in the food chain.