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Abstract
Between 1998 and 2000, 151 samples of raisins and sultanas and two samples of currants were collected from retail outlets across Canada and analysed for ochratoxin A. Samples were extracted with methanol-sodium bicarbonate, and the extracts were cleaned-up by immunoaffinity column chromatography. Ochratoxin A was quantified by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The minimum quantifiable level was 0.1 ng g−1. Ochratoxin A was present, above the minimum quantifiable level, in 67 (79%) of 85 samples of raisins, in 39 (59%) of 66 samples of sultanas, and in both samples of currants. The overall mean level of ochratoxin A was 1.8 ng g−1 in both the raisins and sultanas, and 2.8 ng g−1 in the currants.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of the staff at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the collection and shipment of samples; and to Dr D. Abramson, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Mr T. Nowicki, Canadian Grain Commission, and Dr Tine Kuiper-Goodman for their expert and thorough reviews of the manuscript.
