Ochratoxin A (OTA) Occurence in Meat and Dairy Products: Prevention and Remediation Strategies

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a significant mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium species that exhibits a toxic or potentially carcinogenic activity in animals and humans. OTA is known to widely contaminate feeds and food, including food of animal origin, such as milk, cheese and meat, thereby raising food safety issues. However, the European Commission has not yet established any maximum permitted limits of OTA in meat or other animal products, although some countries have enforced maximum levels of OTA concentrations or have developed guidelines in which maximum OTA levels are recommended. This chapter, after a brief introduction, is aimed at informing the readers about the latest knowledge about the occurrence and the food safety issues of OTA in dry-cured meat and dairy products. Moreover, the different remediation strategies, such as heating, ripening, drying, storage and the use of microbial cultures, which are adopted for the prevention or decontamination of OTA in the above mentioned food products, are critically reviewed.