Ochratoxin A in cocoa and chocolate products from the Italian market: Occurrence and exposure assessment

Three hundred samples of cocoa and chocolate-based products were randomly collected in South, Center and North Italy. One hundred and seventy nine, out of the 300 samples analyzed, were positive for ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination, representing 60% of the purchased products. All 40 cocoa samples showed OTA contamination, while grouping all the chocolate products the positive samples accounted for 53%. The mean OTA concentration levels for cocoa and chocolate products were well below the corresponding Italian legal limits. Teenagers' male age group resulted as the highest consumers for cocoa powder (2.9 g per day), while the OTA highest weekly intake was reported for the younger age groups (0.10 and 0.38 ng/kg bw/week, for infant and children respectively). With respect to chocolate products, the highest daily consumption and the highest intake are reported for children (7.3 g and 0.57 ng/kg bw/week, respectively). As far as single chocolate products are concerned, the highest weekly intake is referred to the consumption of Easter chocolate eggs by the infant/children age group (0.10 ng/kg bw/week). The overall analysis of the exposure assessment suggests that the very low value of body weight for infant and children categories drives the exposure calculations. On the basis of the risk assessment carried out in this study, the exposure to OTA, due to the consumption of cocoa and chocolate products, is to be considered not a major concern. Therefore, the Italian Superior Council of Health considered the data arising from this study, adequate to repeal the existing Italian legal limits and to align national legislation with the EU provisions.