Ochratoxin A in Human Milk From the MIREC Study

Abstract Background Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by multiple fungal species and is found in a variety of foods. Ingestion of OTA-contaminated foods by lactating mothers can lead to OTA exposure in infants. Methods To help assess infants’ exposure to OTA, milk samples from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Human Milk Study were analyzed. Human milk samples were collected (n = 494) and analyzed for OTA levels by HPLC. Results and Discussion The mean OTA concentration was 7.32 ± 9.25 ng/L, with 390 (79%) test samples testing positive for OTA and a range of 4.5–192 ng/L. Based on the food consumption questionnaires distributed among participants, higher OTA levels were observed with higher consumption of cottage cheese, hot cereal, and whole-grain bread and significant differences were found in OTA levels at different sites. The mean OTA level in the analyzed milk test samples was well below the amount found in infant formulas sold in Canada, which was determined by Health Canada to be safe. Conclusions The concentrations of OTA found in human milk in this study are well below the amount deemed safe in infant formula by Health Canada and, therefore, unlikely to be of concern to infant health.