Long-term survey of patulin in apple juice concentrates produced in Turkey

A liquid chromatographic method described by us elsewhere was evaluated for a long-term survey of patulin in apple juice concentrates. Patulin was separated on a reversed phase C18 LC column with water-acetonitrile (99:1) as the mobile phase and quantitated with a photodiode array (PDA) detector. Relatively low amounts of patulin (< 5 micrograms/l for single strength juice at 11.2 degrees Bx) were detected in apple juice concentrates and confirmed by PDA detector, comparing the corresponding UV spectra with that of patulin standard. Four hundred and eighty two apple juice concentrates produced through 1996-99 were analysed for their patulin contents. Year-to-year variations in patulin levels of apple juice concentrates were found out to be statistically significant. Patulin contamination levels of apple juice concentrates tended to decrease through the years and averaged 63, 43, 19 and 31 micrograms/l in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively. Percentages of concentrates exceeding the maximum permitted concentration of 50 micrograms/l were 52%, 34%, 8% and 8% for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, respectively.