Caffeine as main interfering compound in radioimmunoassay of aflatoxin B1 in coffee samples

The content of caffeine in coffee extracts prepared for radioimmunoassay of aflatoxin B1 was determined by gas chromatography. The extracts from coffee beans and decaffeinated coffee contained 1.76-4.60 and 0.71-0.85 g caffeine/kg, respectively. These concentrations of caffeine caused false results in radioimmunoassay of aflatoxin B1 in the range 1.0-2.8 micrograms/kg for coffee beans and 0.3-0.4 micrograms/kg for decaffeinated coffee.