Ochratoxin a in breast milk in Morocco: the affecting dietary habits of the lactating mothers and the degree of exposure of newborns CONTAMILK study

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the level of contamination of breast milk (BM) by ochratoxin A, among Moroccan lactating mothers in the city of Rabat, and to identify the associated factors of exposure, also to estimate the degree of exposure of the breastfeed infant. The analysis of ochratoxin A (OTA) was accomplished by ELISA method on 82 colostrum samples. OTA was detectable (>0.08 ng/mL) in 55% of samples with a maximum concentration of 10.04 ng/mL, and the levels exceeded 0.5 ng /mL in 50 % of the samples. In addition, several factors and dietary habits affect significantly the level of OTA in the analyzed samples of breast milk including, the consumption of industrial dairy products, the frequency of consumption of canned foods, dried fruits and legumes, also the period of breast milk collection. Besides, OTA was higher than the tolerable daily intake for 49% newborns. However, these results need to be confirmed by multicenter studies to more broadly estimate the levels of exposition of Moroccan population to OTA. Furthermore, awareness campaigns are recommended to inform the public, especially pregnant women and lactating women about appropriate preventive measures to limit exposure to this mycotoxin.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to assess the contamination level of ochratoxin A (OTA) in breast milk among lactating mothers in Rabat, Morocco, and identify the associated factors of exposure. The results showed that OTA was present in a significant percentage of samples, with levels exceeding the tolerable daily intake for newborns. Further multicenter studies are needed to confirm these findings and raise awareness through public campaigns.