Abstract
Mycotoxins pose a serious worldwide threat to the safety of numerous food commodities. Red wine is prone to contamination from ochratoxin A, produced by black-spored Aspergillus spp., and it was recently discovered that some of these species can also produce the mycotoxin fumonisin B2. Although wine surveys in most world regions have determined that mean ochratoxin A levels are below the European Union’s recommended guideline maximum (2 μg/L), it remains imperative to monitor toxin levels in poor vintages and in emerging regions to ensure safety. The hot, humid environment of the southeastern U.S. proves challenging to winegrapes due to opportunistic fungal growth and high disease pressure, yet there exists 550+ wineries in this expanding region. To determine the mycotoxin potential in southeastern vineyards, 30 cluster samples (representing 10 grape varieties, eight vineyards, and three states) were collected during the 2013 harvest and analyzed for ochratoxin A and fumonisins. Additionally, nearly 200 bottles of 100% southeastern U.S. red, vinifera wines were tested for mycotoxins via LC-MS/MS. These wines represent 18 grape varieties grown across six states during vintages between 2001 to 2013. Only 4/157 (2.5%) wine samples tested positive for ochratoxin A, with the highest quantity being at a safe level of 0.48 μg/L. Most wines (25/27, 92.6%) contained total fumonisins (B1, B2, and B3) at extremely low concentrations (<15 μg/L), far below a health risk level. Only one grape must sample was positive for mycotoxins (20.6 μg/L fumonisin B1) out of 30 tested. Based on these results, the southeastern U.S. Vitis vinifera wine industry has a low occurrence of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A and insignificant amounts of fumonisins in red wines.
- ©2017 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture
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