As considerable inconsistencies are found in the literature regarding the influence of roasting and
subsequent operations on the ochratoxin A (OTA) content of green coffee, experiments were
undertaken to assess the evolution of OTA along an industrial soluble coffee manufacturing line.
Both the variability and the amount of OTA naturally present in a lot of Thai Robusta green coffee
were drastically reduced during soluble coffee manufacture. A small proportion of OTA was
eliminated during green coffee cleaning, but the most significant reduction took place during roasting.
The roast and ground coffee contained only 16% of the OTA originally present in the green coffee.
Two phenomena are responsible for the elimination of OTA during roasting: a thermal degradation
and a removal with chaff. Thermal degradation is the most important route of elimination, with