Survey of aflatoxin contamination of dried figs grown in Turkey in 1986

Abstract

A total of 284 dried fig samples, collected from fields during drying, and from warehouse and processing units in the Aegean region of Turkey in 1986, were examined for aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxin B₁, B₂, and G₁ were detected in 4, 2, and 2% of the samples, respectively, which were of the lower grade of figs taken from the drying stage. The average aflatoxin levels in positive samples were estimated to be 112.3 (B₁), 50.6 (B₂), and 61.4 ng/g (G₁). The samples collected from storage (64 samples) and processing units (14 samples) contained no aflatoxins. The results of this survey show that aflatoxin contamination of Turkish dried figs in 1986 was highly correlated with the poorer grade of fig.