Fungi associated to beans infested with coffee berry borer and the risk of ochratoxin A

Abstract

Coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is the main pest of coffee crop. Its damage starts when insect pierces coffee berries. Perforations may compromise microbiological quality and consumption safety of beans. This study aimed to identify toxigenic fungi associated to damaged coffee beans and quantify ochratoxin A content. Coffee beans from two Brazilian producing areas were collected and the damaged beans in the sample were classified by the level of infestation. There is a relationship between coffee berry borer infestation and the increase in fungal contamination percentage. Twenty fungal species were identified, where those from the Fusarium and Aspergillus genera were more incident. Among the twenty isolated species four were potential OTA producers. OTA presence was detected only in samples from the “Cerrado” producing region, where high mycotoxin concentrations were found in “Dirty I and II” levels.