Occurrence of AF, AFB1, OTA in rice commercialized in eastern Turkey

A total of 100 rice samples were collected from five provinces (Kars, Agri, Erzurum, Igdir, and Ardahan) in eastern Turkey. Samples were investigated for total aflatoxin (AF), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and ochratoxin A (OTA) levels. The results show that AF levels in 65 (65.0%), AFB1 levels in 35 (35.0%), and OTA levels in 38 (38.0%) of 100 samples were higher than the detection limits. AF and AFB1 levels in all samples were at tolerable limits. OTA levels in 3 samples have been found higher than the legal limits. The highest OTA level in the samples was found in winter season due to climatic conditions, especially relative humidity. Additionally, rice is mainly contaminated by AF, AFB1 and OTA. In Turkey, contamination in rice could be a relatively critical point for human health. Therefore, it is necessary to have an appropriate method for cereal preservation during distribution to consumers and markets.