Authors
Title
Abstract
The objective of the paper was to determine the aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination level in dried fruits available for retail purchase in organic stores and hypermarkets in the Lodz region. The analysis of the content of mycotoxins was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an immunoaffinity column (IAC) and fluorescence detection. The research material covered 5 types of products: dates, figs, bananas, apricots and raisins. There were 117 samples in total tested. As regards the mycotoxin contamination level in dried fruits, the respective research results obtained were checked whether or not they exceeded the maximum permissible levels as specified in the legal acts in force. The average aflatoxin content in the dried fruits varied, however it did not exceed 2.4 μg/kg. Those mycotoxins were determined in 17 % of the samples analysed. They were absent in most products from organic stores except for 2 samples of figs and 2 samples of raisins. In the dried fruits purchased in hypermarkets, only in bananas no mycotoxins were found. Raisins were the group of fruits with the highest aflatoxin contamination level (2.4 μg/kg on average) and in one of those samples it was reported that the permissible level of contamination was exceeded (4.9 μg/kg). The average ochratoxin A contamination varied in the dried fruits depending on the type of product. It was found that 22 % of the samples analysed were contaminated with ochratoxin A. It was present in all the types of products with the exception of bananas and apricots purchased in organic stores. The highest mean level of ochratoxin A was found in the raisins purchased in hypermarkets (8.6 μg/kg) and in one sample its content (12.4 μg/kg) exceeded the permissible level.
Keywords
dried fruits, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, HPLC