Research on the presence of ochratoxin A in the corns sold outside in istanbul province

Mycotoxins which are found in foods, can go into human body through consumption of those foods, gain more importance day by day and endanger health due to generation of toxic metabolite have become increasingly a substantial research subject. The fungi that are responsible from the generation of mycotoxins can be found everywhere, because they are conveyed by air. However, their contamination can vary by the type of the product, geographical situation, seasons and years. Mycotoxins are highly toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Apart from several toxins produced by limited number of species, numerous mycotoxins are generated by a great variety of species. Grain production has a place in the global food supply which represents 50 percent of total daily caloric intake of people. Ochratoxins usually exist in barley, wheat, corn, rye, oat, fig, bean olive, raisin, nuts, spices, coffee, beer, medicinal herbs, herbal tea and grapefruit juice. Fungal injection and production of mycotoxins can start in harvest, processing and storage. In particular, situation of the cereals during storage is a basic factor for the growth of mycotoxins. Ambient conditions such as humidity and temperature are the leading factors for safety of the cereal products. The study aimed to analyze 40 corn samples gathered from various district bazaars and markets of İstanbul province. The samples were taken from the corns which are not sold under a brand. The risk evaluation of OTA in this product group was performed. Key Word: Corn, Ochratoxin A, ELISA Method, contamination