Table 3.
Effects of different parameters on OTA in rice collected in Lebanon.
| Variable | Mean of Positive Samples (Above LOQ) (µg/kg) | SD | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice Type | |||
| White/Parboiled | 1.24 | 0.25 | |
| Brown | 1.32 | 0.27 | 0.246 |
| Packing Season (Lebanon as country of packing) | |||
| Fall/Winter | 1.42 | 0.29 | |
| Spring/Summer | 1.35 | 0.3 | 0.282 |
| Country of Packing | |||
| Lebanon | 1.44 | 0.29 | |
| Other countries | 1.4 | 0.32 | 0.769 |
| Collection | |||
| First | 1.65 | 0.43 | |
| Second | 1.08 | 0.22 | <0.001 |
| Country of Origin | |||
| Developing (India, Pakistan, Thailand, China) | 1.38 | 0.29 | |
| Developed (the United States, Italy) | 1.23 | 0.32 | |
| Not Available | 1.36 | 0.28 | 0.221 |
| Food Safety Management System | |||
| Presence | 1.41 | 0.31 | |
| Absence/Information Not Available | 1.34 | 0.34 | 0.51 |
| Grain Size | |||
| Long | 1.48 | 0.32 | |
| Short/Medium | 1.18 | 0.21 | <0.001 |
| Time Between Packing and Purchasing | |||
| From 1 to 9 weeks | 1.16 | 0.24 | |
| From 10 to 19 weeks | 1.23 | 0.2 | |
| From 20 to 29 weeks | 1.48 | 0.39 | |
| 30 weeks and above | 1.41 | 0.36 | 0.146 |