Aflatoxins in peanut: quality improvement and control programs

Abstract

Three hundred samples of peanut and peanut products were collected from the state of São Paulo by Public Health Surveillance in 2000, 2002 and 2009. The occurrence of aflatoxins was analyzed in these samples, in conformity of the monitoring program regulation of the São Paulo State Health Department. Of 56 samples collected in 2000, 25 were contaminated with value above the legal limit for aflatoxin contents ranging from 18μg/kg to 1947 μg/kg. Of 73 and 171 samples collected in 2002 and 2009, seven and three samples were contaminated with levels above the established limit for aflatoxins, ranging from 4.4 μg/kg to 648 μg/kg, and 0.03 μg/kg to 71μg/kg, respectively. Decrease in the aflatoxin contamination levels were found, although its values were still high. This fact should be attributed to the government actions and a joint effort with the private sectors and peanut producers, in order to improve the quality of these products. Aflatoxins are recurrent, sometimes unavoidable contaminants of peanuts. For this reason, monitoring programs constitute an important tool for keeping the aflatoxin levels under the regulatory limits, for decreasing the human and animal health risk to this mycotoxin.