Determinación de Ocratoxina A (OTA) en Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) y Café (Coffea arabica) pormedio de cromatografía líquida de alta eficiencia (HPLC) para contribuir a la inocuidad alimentariaen Boyacá (Colombia)

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin commonly found in a variety of agricultural products, raising significant concern regarding its prevention and control. This study aimed to assess the incidence of OTA in cocoa and coffee matrices using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD), following AOAC Official Method 2000.03. Immunoaffinity columns (IAC) equipped with monoclonal antibodies were employed for extraction and purification of OTA. After method implementation, performance characteristics were established and samples of cocoa and coffee from San Pablo de Borbur, Pauna, and Rondón (Boyacá, Colombia) were analyzed. The method showed good linearity (R2 = 0.9994), with limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.066 µg/kg and 0.222 µg/kg, respectively. Accuracy was assessed with low and high standards, yielding bias values of 11.30% and 0.83%. Precision, evaluated through the coefficient of variation, was below 10% for both repeatability and intermediate precision. During extraction, OTA was detected in coffee at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 µg/kg, levels well below the Colombian regulatory limit (5 µg/kg). No detectable OTA levels were found in cocoa. Fortification assays in both matrices demonstrated recovery rates between 90% and 120% for IAC purification. These results confirm that the HPLC-FLD method implemented is reliable, accurate, and suitable for OTA determination in cocoa and coffee. The findings contribute to quality assurance processes in food production and support monitoring strategies to ensure compliance with food safety regulations.