Abstract
In this study, a total of 80 peanut butter, hazelnut butter, and chocolate samples were obtained from local markets in Ankara, Turkey. These foods were analyzed for twelve toxicological important mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2); fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2); ochratoxin A (OTA); sterigmatocystin (STE); deoxynivalenol (DON); zearalenone (ZON); T-2 toxin (T2); and HT-2 toxin (HT2) by the LC–MS/MS multi-mycotoxin method. In addition to this analysis, the presence of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria was investigated in the samples. The samples were analyzed microbiologically using standard procedures. Finally, the minimum and maximum levels of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, FB2, OTA, STE, DON, ZON, T2, and HT2 in the samples were found to be 0.04–27.37 µg/kg, 0.06–6.19 µg/kg, 0.14–0.40 µg/kg, 2.73–2.93 µg/kg, 0.01–37.26 µg/kg, 0.19–2.25 µg/kg, 11.81–42.09 µg/kg, 0.03–7.57 µg/kg, 1.41–2.54 µg/kg, and 6.94–7.43 µg/kg, respectively. AFG2 and FB1 were not detected in any of the samples. The most frequently detected mycotoxins in analyzed samples were OTA (78.75%) and AFB1 (75%). In addition, total aerobic mesophilic bacteria were isolated from 53.75% of samples. Some of the tested food samples contained mycotoxins above the Turkish Food Codex maximum limit.
Highlights
Today, people are exposed to many different chemical contaminants from different sources, and food is one of the important reservoirs for this exposure [1]
aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), fumonisin B1 (FB1), T2, DON, and HT-2 toxin (HT2) toxins were not detected in peanut butter
Considering the mycotoxin prevalence in peanut butter, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) were detected in 100% of the samples
Summary
People are exposed to many different chemical contaminants from different sources, and food is one of the important reservoirs for this exposure [1]. Harmful microorganisms, or chemicals can cause the formation of more than 200 diseases in humans [2]. Mycotoxins, the secondary metabolite produced by some fungi, are a common food contaminant that causes serious health problems, such as poisoning in animals and humans [4]. [4,5] Some mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium genera, and fumonisins B produced mainly by Fusarium species, are considered to be of great economic and toxicological importance for cereal crops [4]. The most important mycotoxins, in terms of food safety and regulations, are considered to be aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, zearalenone, ergot alkaloids, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, patulin, and citrinin [6]
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