Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety
Cheese is a globally consumed dairy product, with Europe leading the world in its consumption. Italy, as the third-largest cheese producer within the European Union, plays a crucial role in the sector, particularly through its production of Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) cheeses, including...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/9/1504 |
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| author | Valentina Meucci Alessio Lenzi Andrea Armani Francesca Pedonese Ludovica Ghimenti Lucia De Marchi |
| author_facet | Valentina Meucci Alessio Lenzi Andrea Armani Francesca Pedonese Ludovica Ghimenti Lucia De Marchi |
| author_sort | Valentina Meucci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cheese is a globally consumed dairy product, with Europe leading the world in its consumption. Italy, as the third-largest cheese producer within the European Union, plays a crucial role in the sector, particularly through its production of Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) cheeses, including <i>Grana Padano</i> and <i>Parmigiano Reggiano</i>. These hard cheeses are widely utilized in pre-packaged grated cheese products, owing to their broad appeal and recognized quality. While mold is a common and often necessary component in cheese production for the development of flavor and texture, fungal growth can also detrimentally affect the quality of cheese, potentially causing economic losses and posing food safety risks. Some molds are capable of producing mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin A (OTA), a toxic compound that has been identified in cheese. This study aims to quantitatively assess the prevalence of OTA contamination in various pre-packaged grated cheese products using the high-performance liquid chromatography method while also exploring the potential implications for food safety. The results revealed a high incidence of OTA, with 97.6% of the samples tested positive for contamination, ranging from below the limit of detection (<LOD) to 19.15 ng g<sup>−1</sup>. Among the cheeses tested, the <i>Parmigiano Reggiano</i> brand exhibited the significantly highest average level of OTA contamination (5.06 ± 0.66 ng g<sup>−1</sup>), followed by pecorino (2.25 ± 0.31 ng g<sup>−1</sup>), mixed (2.15 ± 0.18 ng g<sup>−1</sup>), and the <i>Grana Padano</i> cheeses (1.53 ± 0.21 ng g<sup>−1</sup>). Given the widespread consumption of pre-packaged grated cheese products, these findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring and risk assessment of cheese products, particularly pre-packaged grated varieties, due to the potential health risks associated with OTA exposure. Further investigations are essential to identify the factors contributing to OTA contamination in cheese and to support the development of regulatory standards to ensure consumer safety. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-20251074240549c48b5bc451cd5e2a9a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-20251074240549c48b5bc451cd5e2a9a2025-08-20T02:24:46ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-04-01149150410.3390/foods14091504Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food SafetyValentina Meucci0Alessio Lenzi1Andrea Armani2Francesca Pedonese3Ludovica Ghimenti4Lucia De Marchi5Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n° 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n° 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n° 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n° 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n° 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n° 2, 56124 Pisa, ItalyCheese is a globally consumed dairy product, with Europe leading the world in its consumption. Italy, as the third-largest cheese producer within the European Union, plays a crucial role in the sector, particularly through its production of Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) cheeses, including <i>Grana Padano</i> and <i>Parmigiano Reggiano</i>. These hard cheeses are widely utilized in pre-packaged grated cheese products, owing to their broad appeal and recognized quality. While mold is a common and often necessary component in cheese production for the development of flavor and texture, fungal growth can also detrimentally affect the quality of cheese, potentially causing economic losses and posing food safety risks. Some molds are capable of producing mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin A (OTA), a toxic compound that has been identified in cheese. This study aims to quantitatively assess the prevalence of OTA contamination in various pre-packaged grated cheese products using the high-performance liquid chromatography method while also exploring the potential implications for food safety. The results revealed a high incidence of OTA, with 97.6% of the samples tested positive for contamination, ranging from below the limit of detection (<LOD) to 19.15 ng g<sup>−1</sup>. Among the cheeses tested, the <i>Parmigiano Reggiano</i> brand exhibited the significantly highest average level of OTA contamination (5.06 ± 0.66 ng g<sup>−1</sup>), followed by pecorino (2.25 ± 0.31 ng g<sup>−1</sup>), mixed (2.15 ± 0.18 ng g<sup>−1</sup>), and the <i>Grana Padano</i> cheeses (1.53 ± 0.21 ng g<sup>−1</sup>). Given the widespread consumption of pre-packaged grated cheese products, these findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring and risk assessment of cheese products, particularly pre-packaged grated varieties, due to the potential health risks associated with OTA exposure. Further investigations are essential to identify the factors contributing to OTA contamination in cheese and to support the development of regulatory standards to ensure consumer safety.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/9/1504ochratoxin Apre-packaged grated cheesefood safetydairy industry |
| spellingShingle | Valentina Meucci Alessio Lenzi Andrea Armani Francesca Pedonese Ludovica Ghimenti Lucia De Marchi Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety Foods ochratoxin A pre-packaged grated cheese food safety dairy industry |
| title | Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety |
| title_full | Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety |
| title_fullStr | Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety |
| title_short | Assessing Ochratoxin A Contamination in Pre-Packaged Grated Cheese: Implications for Food Safety |
| title_sort | assessing ochratoxin a contamination in pre packaged grated cheese implications for food safety |
| topic | ochratoxin A pre-packaged grated cheese food safety dairy industry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/9/1504 |
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