Determination of aflatoxin B1 in tiger nut-based soft drinks

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Aflatoxin B1 is a toxic contaminant found in various foods.
• Tiger nut-based beverages like horchata require reliable testing methods for safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an analytical method for determining aflatoxin B1 in horchata.
• To assess the prevalence of aflatoxin B1 in commercially available horchata samples.

Main Methods:

• Immunoaffinity clean-up followed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
• Electrochemical post-column derivatization with fluorescence detection.
• Method validation included limit of detection, quantification, recovery, and precision.

Main Results:

• The method achieved a detection limit of 0.02 µg/kg and quantification limit of 0.06 µg/kg.
• Mean recovery was 88% with a coefficient of variation of 9%.
• Analysis of 22 horchata samples revealed only one sample with detectable aflatoxin B1.

Conclusions:

• The developed method is sensitive and accurate for aflatoxin B1 determination in horchata.
• The market survey indicates low levels of aflatoxin B1 contamination in horchata from Spain and Belgium.
• The method provides a valuable tool for ensuring the safety of tiger nut-based beverages.