ABSTRACT
OTA and aflatoxins are the mycotoxins that have been found in coffee products, with OTA being the most prevalent (Levi 1980; Nakajima et al. 1997; Nakajima 2003). OTAs are a class of mycotoxins produced by some fungal species. ere are three types of OTAs: A, B, and C, but OTA is the most toxigenic and is one of the most common food mycotoxins. e toxicity of OTA has been reviewed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC 1993) that classified OTA as a possible human carcinogen (group 2B), and by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA 2001, 2007). e kidneys are considered to be the main target organ for OTA effects, and nephrotoxic and carcinogenic properties have therefore been the major focus of the safety evaluation performed by scientific bodies. Furthermore, OTA also has teratogenic, immunotoxic, and possibly neurotoxic properties (Kuiper-Goodman 1996).
