Survey on Ochratoxin A in wines. data concerning the market of table wines in brik.

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin commonly produced by genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. The toxin has been found to occur in several foods of plant and animal origin. Despite the data already in literature concerning the occurrence of Ochratoxin A in wines and grapes, these products are still not included in CE Regulation n° 1525/98 (16.07.98). In Italy, the Health Ministry Circular n° 10 (09.06.99) integrated the CE Regulation, fixing guidelines on tolerance limits for various foods but not for wines and grapes: the limit fixed for beer, for example, is 0.2 microg/L. In view of the definition of an European tolerance limit, it would be useful to colletc information as much as possible: this note refers on OA content in 31 Italian market "table wines" packed in brik. The levels of OA ranged from 0.05 to 3.80 microg/L.