Review Coffee berry borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): An opening for fungi and toxins?

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Studies on coffee quality are important, because the occurrence of defective grains can affect its microbiological and sensory quality. The insect Hypothenemus hampei, when perfurating the fruits in the crop, causes coffee berry borer defects to reduce the weight of the grains and can also favor the entry of fungi, some of them toxigenic, that under ideal growth conditions are capable of producing toxins. The present article is a review of the general aspects of coffee, its defects, the coffee berry borer and the possible relationship with ochratoxigenic fungi and ochratoxin A production in coffee.