The occurrence of ochratoxin A in kidneys of healthy pigs from Vojvodina province, Serbia

Abstract

© Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd. Ochratoxin A is a potential contaminant of feed and consequently meat and meat products. Residues of this mycotoxin in meat can pose a food safety issue. Swine production in Serbia and the northern province of Vojvodina is highly developed, since household consumers in Serbia frequently purchase pork. The occurrence of OTA in pig's kidney taken from the slaughter line is a good indicator of the presence of this mycotoxin in meat and meat products. A total of 95 pig's kidneys from Vojvodina, Serbia, were analyzed for ochratoxin A. The results from 19 farms (5 samples per farm from Bačka, Banat and Srem districts of Vojvodina) showed the presence of OTA in 14.74% (14/95 kidneys). The average OTA content was 1.36 μg/kg, median 0.99 μg/kg, and range from 0.10 to 3.97 μg/kg. Results from our research do not suggest any serious problems with OTA contamination in pig's kidneys, but continuous monitoring is needed to avoid any possible future problems.