January 12, 2006
From: ProMED-mail<promed@promedmail.org>
Source: foodproductiondaily.com, 11 Jan 2006 [edited]
<http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=65020-wheat-italy-contaminated>

With the head of Europe's largest wheat mill under arrest, pasta makers are checking their supplies to see whether any came from a stock found to be contaminated with a cancer-causing toxin.

The head of Molino Casillo, was arrested for allegedly adulterating stocks with contaminated wheat after a joint investigation by Italy's agricultural ministry and the fraud police.

The arrest follows the discovery that wheat imported from Canada was contaminated with ochratoxin, a carcinogenic substance. About 58 000 tonnes of durum wheat was confiscated at the port of Bari.

A statement by the minister of agriculture, Gianni Alemanno, says the case shows the need for stricter controls on tracing and tracking food imports. It also proved that Italy's system of safety inspections and tests was helping to keep contaminated food off the shelves.

"Once more, foreign products have presented the greatest risk of counterfeiting and fraud, an episode that confirms the necessity of reinforcing label-of-origin guarantees on food products, to increase the protection both of consumers and producers who invest in quality," according to a press release today.

The ministry said Casillo had been arrested by the customs police, which carried out an arrest warrant for a charge of tampering and counterfeiting of foodstuffs, as well as poisoning of foodstuffs. The judge is investigating the import from Canada of grain contaminated with cancer-causing toxins, which was shown to be over legal limits on a load seized last September [2005] on board a ship in the port of Bari, according to a statement translated by AGI Online on behalf of the Italian government.

Italy's family-owned Molino Casillo is a group of 4 mills situated in southern Italy. The company says it is the European leader in the production of semolina for pasta and is the world's largest private buyer of durum wheat. Molino Casillo buys about 1 million tonnes of durum wheat a year and is one of the principal market makers in durum wheat and semolina.

Canada, one of the world's largest producers of durum wheat, sells about 40 per cent of its supply to Italy, according to AWB Consultancy.

Ochratoxin is produced by several fungi and occurs naturally in a variety of plant products such as cereals, coffee beans, beans, pulses and dried fruit, and has been detected also in coffee, wine, beer and grape juice.

Its presence depends on climatic conditions, abnormally long storage, transportation, wet or dry milling, roasting procedures and fermentation. High concentrations in foods have been linked with damage to kidney function.

--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Ochratoxin A is the most important and most commonly occurring of a structurally related group of compounds, and is often abbreviated to OTA or OA. It is produced by some species of _Aspergillus_, such as _A. ochraceus_, mainly in tropical regions and by _Penicillium verrucosum_, a common storage fungus in temperate areas such as
Canada, eastern and northwestern Europe, and parts of South America.

Ochratoxin B differs in structure only by the absence of the chlorine atom. It can occur naturally but is much less toxic. Other related molecules include ochratoxin C, ochratoxin a, and ochratoxin beta.

Ochratoxin A is a potent toxin affecting mainly the kidneys, in which it can cause both acute and chronic lesions, whereas its dechloro derivative, ochratoxin B, is non-toxic. A nephrotoxic effect has been demonstrated in all mammalian species. In acute toxicity studies, LD50 values vary greatly in different species, the dog being
especially susceptible. Many feeding trials lasting up to 90 days or more have examined the progressive effects on kidney function and damage through prolonged exposure and led to both sub-acute and sub-chronic effects.

Ochratoxin A is a potent teratogen in mice, rats, hamsters and chickens, but not apparently pigs, when fed to sows during early pregnancy. Both teratogenic and reproductive effects have been demonstrated. It is known to affect the immune system in a number of mammalian species.

Ochratoxin A is genotoxic both in vitro and in vivo, but the mechanism of genotoxicity is still unclear. Because human exposure to ochratoxin A has been clearly demonstrated by its detection in blood and breast milk, the presence of ochratoxin A in foodstuffs is clearly undesirable.

Ochratoxin A was first reported as a natural contaminant of cereals in a sample of corn. Concentrations found are usually below 50 microgram/kg, but when products are stored badly much higher concentrations can develop. In temperate regions a significant proportion of cereal samples may be contaminated with very small amounts below 1 microgram/kg, although a few may contain much higher levels. Many surveys for ochratoxin A in cereals have been carried out, but in recent years it has been found in a wide range of other stored products and processed foods including coffee, beer, dried fruit, wine, cocoa and nuts. Information on the worldwide occurrence of ochratoxin has been reviewed and reported in several publications.

Many experiments have been carried out in laboratory culture to identify the optimum conditions for the formation of ochratoxin A by _Aspergillus ochraceus_ and _Penicillium verrucosum_. However, under field conditions it is often formed in cereals under conditions marginal for the formation of the fungi, and this aspect has only recently been addressed but is vital for understanding how its formation can be avoided.

Links:
<http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleventh/profiles/s140ochr.pdf>
<http://193.132.193.215/eman2/fsheet3.asp>
- Mod.DH]

[Ochratoxin has most often been associated with renal disease in animals, while in humans there is both renal and liver cancers. - Mod.TG]