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Fluorescence and Aflatoxin Content of Individual Almond Kernels Naturally Contaminated with Aflatoxin
Author(s) -
SCHADE JOHN E.,
KING A. DOUGLAS
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1984.tb12449.x
Subject(s) - aflatoxin , food science , contamination , fluorescence , chemistry , biology , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics
An effort was made to relate the aflatoxin content of individual almond kernels to their fluorescent color. The fluorescence of individual blanched almonds and defective almonds, most of which lack an intact pellicle, was described by means of Methuen color charts before each kernel was analyzed for aflatoxin. Almonds that fluoresced violet‐purple under long‐wave UV light were found to contain high levels of aflatoxins B 1 and B 2 but, with perhaps one exception, no measurable amounts of aflatoxins G 1 and G 2 . Some diced almonds with blue fluorescence had all four aflatoxins present but at much lower levels than in the violet‐purple kernels. Aflatoxin ranged from 1.0 × 10 5 to 2.5 × 10 6 ppb in the violet‐purple kernels. These values agree with previous estimates of aflatoxin concentration per contaminated nut. Almond kernels with violet‐purple fluorescence should be culled.