Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Ochratoxin A and Associated Health Risks in the Cypriot Population
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. It frequently contaminates a wide range of food commodities, including cereals, coffee, dried fruits, wine, spices, and animal feed. Due to its widespread occurrence, persistence during food processing, and well‐documented toxicological properties, OTA is considered one of the most significant foodborne mycotoxins. The kidney is its primary target organ; however, experimental studies have also demonstrated immunotoxic, hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic effects. Human exposure occurs predominantly through dietary intake, with cereals and cereal‐based products representing the principal source in many populations. Consequently, the assessment of dietary exposure to OTA is an essential component of food safety risk assessment and supports the development of evidence‐based risk management measures. The present report evaluates the dietary exposure of the Cypriot population to OTA using the ImproRisk model (version 0.7.0). The objectives of the assessment were to estimate dietary OTA exposure, characterise the associated health risk by calculating the margins of exposure (MoEs) for both neoplastic and non‐neoplastic effects, and determine the contribution of the major food groups to overall dietary exposure. Under the middle‐bound (MB) scenario, the estimated mean and 95th percentile dietary exposures were 0.0008 μg/kg body weight (b.w.) per day and 0.0019 μg/kg b.w. per day, respectively. These exposure estimates are lower than the corresponding values reported by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The calculated MoEs for both non‐neoplastic effects (based on a benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) of 4.73 μg/kg b.w. per day) and neoplastic effects (based on a BMDL of 14.5 μg/kg b.w. per day) exceeded the relevant health‐based reference values, indicating a low level of health concern for the overall population. Among the population groups assessed, toddlers and other children exhibited the highest dietary exposure to OTA, whereas infants showed the lowest exposure. For neoplastic effects, the estimated MoEs for toddlers and other children approached the value of 10,000, suggesting a potential health concern for these population groups. In contrast, the MoEs for all remaining population groups indicated a low level of concern. For non‐neoplastic effects, the MoEs for all population groups were substantially greater than 200, indicating a low risk to human health. Across all geographical areas included in the assessment, toddlers and other children consistently exhibited the highest dietary exposure. Overall, exposure estimates were comparable among the different geographical areas, suggesting relatively uniform dietary exposure throughout Cyprus. For toddlers, the principal contributors to OTA exposure were pasta (14.9%), bread (12.2%), dried fruits (11.8%), and chicken meat (10.0%). In adults, coffee was the predominant contributor, accounting for 25.1% of total dietary exposure, followed by meat (9.6%), bread (9.5%), and spices (7.2%).
Source: Food Risk Assess Europe
Author: Demetris Kafouris
Institution: Ministry of Health
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7204768089