Natural occurrence of patulin in different fruits, juices and smoothies and evaluation of dietary intake in Punjab, Pakistan

- The presence of patulin in fruits and products was investigated.
- About 57.4% of fruits & products samples were positive for patulin.
- About 33.8% of samples presented higher levels than the maximum permitted levels.
- The highest mean level was found in red globe grapes.
- The hazard quotient (HQ) value of patulin in fruits was 1.22%.

The current study is focused to investigate the natural presence of Patulin (PAT) in various fruits, juices and smoothies marketed and consumed in Pakistan. A total of 237 samples of fruits, juices and smoothies were analysed using isocratic HPLC with UV detector. The results have shown that 136 out of 237 (57.4%) samples have found positive with PAT contamination with levels ranged from 0.04 to 1100 μg kg−1. The highest mean level of PAT was found in red globe grapes i.e. 921.1 ± 22.4 μg kg−1. About 33.8% samples have levels of PAT with concentration above the permissible regulations of European Union (EU) i.e. 50 μg kg−1. The dietary intake of PAT from fruits, juices and smoothies were 0.0049, 0.0016 and 0.0014 μg kg−1 bw day−1 with hazard quotient (HQ) value of 1.22, 0.40 and 0.35%, respectively. The incidence and occurrence of PAT in fruits and fruits products have high and need urgent attention for comprehensive survey. The results of present study would be useful for farmers, traders, and consumers.