Ochratoxin A in wine.

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine was developed and checked on 14 samples of wine produced in the Republic of Croatia. OTA detection in red and white wine was validated checking the linearity of the method (r2=0.997 and 0.999, respectively), recovery (88 and 95 %, respectively), and precision (RSD=3.1 and 1.4 %, respectively). The detection limit of OTA in both red and white wine was 10 ng L(-1). The OTA concentration in all red wines was above the detection limit (mean 22+/-11 ng L(-1)), while only 4 of 7 white wines contained OTA (mean 10+/-9 ng L(-1)). Three OTA-free white wines were from the north of Croatia (inland), while all wines produced in the south (Adriatic coast) were OTA-positive. However, the concentrations were too low to present a risk for a moderate wine consumer.