Ochratoxin A occurrence in experimental wines in relationship with different pesticide treatments on grapes

A reversed-phase HPLC method was utilized for Ocrhratoxin A (OTA) determination in 23 white and red wine samples produced in the year 2000. All were come from some vineyards, treated with different pesticides, located in three Italian regions. Analytical methods included commercial immunoaffinity columns and a HPLC system equipped with a RF detector. The sensitivity of the analytical method was 0.01 ng ml(-1). Values of OTA found in wine samples show that OTA is more frequently detected in red than in white wines. In fact, all red wine samples were contaminated. The OTA levels reported in this work are comparable with those reported for mycotoxin in red wine. Moreover, the different contents of Ochratoxin A in the wines can be considered an efficiency index of pesticides used. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.