Ochratoxin A in Moroccan Foods Occurrence and Legislation 英文参考文献.docVIP

Toxins 2010, 2, 1121-1133; doi:10.3390/toxins2051121 OPEN ACCESS toxins ISSN 2072-6651 /journal/toxins Review Ochratoxin A in Moroccan Foods: Occurrence and Legislation Abdellah Zinedine Laboratory of Food Toxicology, National Institute of Health (INH), 27 Avenue Ibn Battouta, P.O. Box 769, Rabat-Agdal, Morocco; E-Mail: zinedineab@yahoo.fr; Tel.: +212537771902; Fax: +212537772067 Received: 2 April 2010; in revised form: 16 April 2010 / Accepted: 13 May 2010 / Published: 14 May 2010 Abstract: Ochratoxin A (OTA) is secondary metabolite naturally produced in food and feed by toxigenic fungi, especially some Aspergillus species and Penicillium verucosum. OTA is one of the most studied mycotoxins and is of great interest due to its toxic effects on human and animals. OTA is produced in different food and feed matrices and contaminates a large range of base foods including cereals and derivatives, spices, dried fruits, wine and coffee, etc. Morocco, a North African country, has a climate characterized by high humidity and temperature, which probably favors the growth of molds. This contribution gives an overview of principal investigations about the presence of OTA in foods available in Morocco. Due to its toxicity, OTA presence is increasingly regulated worldwide, especially in countries of the European Union. However, up until now, no regulation limits were in force in Morocco, probably due to the ignorance of the health and economic problems resulting from OTA contamination. Finally, recommendations and future research directions are given required to assess the situation completely. Keywords: ochratoxin A; occurrence; legislation; food; Morocco 1. Introduction Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites principally produced by molds of genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. Nowadays, more than 300 mycotoxins are known and their number is constantly increasing,