Aflatoxins levels in dried fruits and nuts from Rabat-Sale area, Morocco

The occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) in dried fruits and nuts available in Rabat-Sale area (Morocco) was surveyed in this study. One hundred samples of dried fruits and nuts, purchased from retail shops and local markets from January to October 2006, were analyzed for AFs content by immunoaffinity (IAC) clean-up with liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. Results showed that the incidences of total aflatoxins (AFT) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in peanut, dried raisins, dried figs, walnut, and pistachio were 5%, 20%, 30%, 30% and 45% and 5%, 20%, 5%, 30% and 45%, respectively. The highest contamination levels of AFB1 were found in one walnut sample (2500 mu g/kg) and one pistachio sample (1430 mu g/kg). 5%, 20% and 20% of samples of pistachio, walnut and dried raisins exceeded the maximum tolerable limit (2 mu g/kg) set for AFB1 by EU regulations. While 15% of dried figs samples were above the maximum limit (4 mu g/kg) set by EU regulations for AFT. The present paper is the first report on the natural occurrence of AFs in dried fruits and nuts available in Rabat-Sale area in Morocco. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.