Patulin contamination in apple leathers and apple juice in Shahrekord, 2014

Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by a variey of mold species. In this study, a total of 70 samples consisting of 35 apple leathers and 35 apple juice samples was randomly obtained from different supermarkets of Shahrekord. Using HPLC-DAD technique and in accordance with the Iranian National Standard method, the samples were analyzed for patulin contamination. According to the results, patulin was detected in 14 (40%) of apple leather and 7 (20%) of the apple juice samples. Mean values of patulin concentrations in the apple leathert and apple juice samples were estimated as 34.9± 26.3 and 26 ± 19.7 µ/kg, respectively. Although the mean concentration of patulin was lower than the Iranian/European approved limit (50 µg/kg), patulin contamination level was found higher than the maximum approved limit in 5.7% and 2.9% of the the apple leather and apple juices samples, respectively. Therefore, to minimize the contamination of patulin in theses products, the necessary practices should be conducted