A total of 172 different salamis were purchased from farms and small salami factories located in four Italian regions (Piedmont, Veneto, Calabria, and Sicily) and analyzed for the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA). Analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a fluorimetric detector (HPLC-FLD). The detection limit (LOD) for the method used was 0.05 μg/kg, while the quantitation limit (LOQ) was 0.20 μg/kg; the average recovery rate was 89.1%. OTA was detected in 22 salamis, and 3 samples exceeded the Italian guidance value for OTA in pork meat (1 μg/kg). In particular, what emerges from this research is the high percentage of spicy salamis among positive samples (68.2%, 15 out of 22), although spicy salamis are only 27.3% of the total number of samples collected and analyzed. Red chili pepper contaminated by OTA could be responsible for the presence of the mycotoxin in these spicy salamis. It follow that, also the control of some ingredients used in the manufacture of these meat products, like spices, should not be neglected.
Keywords: Contamination; HPLC-FLD; Mycotoxins; Ochratoxin A; Salami; Spices.