| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4559285 | Food Control | 2015 | 4 Pages |
•The study was focused to investigate the occurrence and levels of AFs in dry fruits and nuts.•Samples 132/307 were found positive with aflatoxins contamination.•Total 24 and 13% samples were found above the permissible limits for AFB1 and total AFs, respectively.•The contamination of aflatoxins in dry fruits and nuts may pose health hazards.
A total 307 samples of dry fruits and edible nuts from Northern areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan were evaluated for the presence of aflatoxins (AFs). The samples were analysed using a reversed phase HPLC, equipped with fluorescence detector. Results have revealed that 132 out of 307 samples of dry fruits and nuts were found positive with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total AFs. The highest mean level of total AFs i.e. 7.89 ± 0.99 μg/kg was found in peanuts without shell and lowest mean level (2.45 ± 0.11 μg/kg) was found in watermelon seeds without shell samples. Samples 75 (24%) were found contaminated with AFB1, ranged from 8 to 10 μg/kg and 41 (13%) samples were found above the level of 10 μg/kg for total AFs. The high occurrence of AFs may cause health hazards for consumers and limit exports.
