Prevalence and concentration of ochratoxin a in spices: a global systematic review and meta-analysis study

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most important toxic metabolites of fungi found in agricultural products. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and concentration of OTA in spices through meta-analysis. Therefore, online databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were screened systematically from 1995 to 2022 to collect the related data. After assessing eligibility, 36 articles with 1686 samples were included in the current study. According to the findings, the global pooled prevalence of OTA was counted as 50% (95% CI: 47-52%). Also, a positive correlation between the prevalence of OTA with the year of study, region, and sample size was observed. Moreover, the highest and lowest concentrations of OTA in spices were noted in paprika (50.66 ng/g) and cinnamon (3.4 ng/g), respectively. The outcome of this meta-analysis can be used for risk assessment model development, aiming to help the government and industries to find a specific way to reduce the prevalence of OTA spice products.