부산대학교 도서관

Determination of Ochratoxin A (OTA) Levels in Exported Cocoa. This exported cocoa ochratoxin A contamination assessment target is to answer the legal dispositions and regulations. Three hundred (300) large samples of dried cocoa beans was taken according the Commission Regulation (EC) No 401/2006 and OTA was quantified by HPLC analytical methods with extraction and clean-up on immunoaffinity columns. The global result shows that 33 samples out of 300 cocoa samples have levels of OTA above 2 μg/kg that constitutes 11.04% of total cocoa production in Ivory Coast. At the port of Abidjan rejected cocao beans were evaluated to 15.65%, if the maximum authorized levels are fixed to 2 μg/kg. The result for San Pedro port showed lower levels of OTA (only 6.67%). If we consider the Ivorian regulation that the under grade cocoa bean (S/G) cannot been exported (the under grade cocoa bean (S/G) is the dry cocoa bean of which the mould rate is above 4%), the slated cocoa bean rate is above 8% and the defective rate is also above 6%. At the both ports rejected cocoa beans constitutes 9.50% (11% at Abidjan and 8% at San Pedro). This cocoa beans contamination by OTA can be controlled or reduced by the efficient implementation and vulgarization of the good cocoa production, if we identify the critical points of contamination in the cocoa chain production by ochratoxigen fungi.