Sampling almonds for aflatoxin; part II: estimating risks associated with various sampling plan designs
About 100 nations have established regulatory limits for aflatoxin in food and feeds. Because these limits vary widely from one country to another; the Codex Alimentarius Commission; working through the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants; has initiated work to harmonize aflatoxin limits and sampling plans for almonds; pistachios; hazelnuts; and Brazil nuts. Studies […]
Selenium and Aflatoxin levels in raw Brazil nuts from the Amazon Basin.
Whereas selenium (Se) is an important antioxidant in human metabolism to prevent cancer; aflatoxins are highly carcinogenic. Brazil nuts from Eastern and Western Amazon regions were evaluated to find any relationship between Se and aflatoxins levels. A total of 80 (in-shell and shelled) nuts samples were collected directly from different forest sites and analyzed for […]
Characteristics of in-shell Brazil nuts and their relationship to aflatoxin contamination: criteria for sorting.
External characteristics of in-shell Brazil nuts were evaluated for dimensions (length and face width); weight; chromaticity; and shell thickness. The internal characteristics evaluated were moisture content (mc); aflatoxin contamination (analyzed by LC-MS/MS); and shell/nut ratio. According to their length; Brazil nuts were classified in three groups: I; II; and III; corresponding to large; medium; and […]