Survey of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A occurrence in traditional meat products coming from Croatian households and markets

• AFB1 and OTA occurrence in traditional meat products was investigated.
• ELISA and HPLC-FLD methods were implemented.
• Maximal observed OTA level was 10 times higher than the maximal recommended.
• AFB1 levels were not significantly higher than method LODs.
• Controlled conditions should be implemented in meat products production and storage.

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in different traditional meat products circulating on Croatian markets, produced by a large number of households situated in different Croatian regions. The study involved a total of 410 samples of traditional pork meat products in terms of hams (n = 105), dry fermented sausages (n = 208), bacon (n = 62) and cooked sausages (n = 35), collected over four years period (2011–2014). Mycotoxin concentrations were quantified and confirmed using validated immunoassay method (ELISA) and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD), respectively. The maximal observed OTA level in the fermented sausages and hams was around 5 times (5.10 μg/kg) to 10 times (9.95 μg/kg) higher than the maximal recommended level (1 μg/kg) stipulated for pork products in some EU countries. AFB1 levels found in any given meat product analysed within this frame were not significantly higher (p > 0.05) than the applied method limit of detection. The results showed an occasional mycotoxin contamination of traditional meat products, especially that by OTA, pointing that to avoid such contamination meat and meat products on households should be produced and processed under standardised and well-controlled conditions.