A RAPID ANALYSIS OF OCHRATOXIN-A IN COFFEE BEANS AND CEREALS

A rapid analytical method for the determination of ochratoxin A (OCTA) , without using chloroform or an immunoaffinity column, in coffee bean s and cereals such as rice, wheat, barley and corn was developed. OCTA was extracted from spiked food samples with acetonitrile-1% H3PO4 (99 :1) and cleaned up using cartridge anion exchange column (Bond Elut DE A) chromatography. The test solution was chromatographed on a Capcell Pak C8 column with acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (40:58:2). OCTA was detected using a fluorescence detector (excitation: 335 nm; emission: 465 nm). Recoveries from samples spiked with 10 ng/g OCTA and 50 ng/g in coffee beans, unpolished rice, wheat, barley and corn averaged 93.9 +/-3.9% and 96.1+/-3.5%, respectively. The detection limits correspond ed to 0.05 ng/g in green coffee beans, roasted coffee beans, unpolishe d rice, wheat, barley and corn.