Influence of roasting and brew preparation on the ochratoxin A content in coffee infusion

A study of the effect of coffee processing in the ochratoxin A (OTA) level has been carried out from the green beans to the drinking form. The analysis of OTA has been carried out by an in-house validated HPLC method with fluorescence detection. The limits of detection were 0.04 microgram/kg for green and roasted coffee, and 0.01 microgram/L for coffee brew. Thirty-six green coffee samples of different origin (Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Vietnam, India and Uganda) were analysed. The highest concentrations of OTA were found in Vietnamese samples - Robusta species treated by dry processing - (range 0.64-8.05 microgram/kg), that also showed the highest percentage of defective beans (7.6%). These contaminated samples were roasted in a process that controlled loss of weight and color, as in the industry. A mean reduction of 66.5% was obtained, but the reduction seems to be heterogeneous. Coffee brew was prepared by the three brewing processes more utilized in Europe: moka, auto-drip and espresso. A reduction of the OTA level has been attained, being greater when using a espresso coffee maker (49.8%) than when using auto-drip (14.5%) or moka brewing (32.1%). Therefore, the method of coffee brew preparation plays a key role in the final OTA human exposure.