Occurrence of aflatoxins in cashew nuts produced in northeastern brazil

•Total aflatoxins in Brazilian cashew nuts were monitored for three years.•ELISA method was used for the control of total aflatoxin level.•Only 2.8% of the samples showed high levels of aflatoxins.•The incidence of contamination by aflatoxins investigated has declined in recent years.

Samples of cashew nuts produced in northeastern Brazil were evaluated using monitoring system by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay - ELISA for detection and quantification of the level of total aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2). The data show that a total of 70 samples analyzed, only two (2.8%) showed contamination to levels above EU MRL (4 μg kg−1). Only one sample analyzed showed level of total aflatoxins above the MRL (20 μg kg−1) established by Brazilian Regulations. According to the results the incidence of aflatoxin contamination in Brazilian cashew nuts has decreased during the period 2010-2012. Programs for monitoring the level of mycotoxins in foods should be implemented continuously to ensure food security to the population.