Fate of Aflatoxins during Almond Oil Processing

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Mycology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Low-quality almonds, often rejected for consumption, are utilized for almond oil production.
• These reject almonds can be contaminated with aflatoxins, posing a potential risk in the final oil product.
• Limited information exists on aflatoxin transfer during almond oil processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the transfer of aflatoxins from reject almonds to almond oil during hexane extraction.
• To assess the efficacy of common oil refining adsorbents in removing aflatoxins from contaminated almond oil.

Main Methods:

• Almond oil was produced from naturally aflatoxin-contaminated reject almonds using hexane extraction.
• Aflatoxin levels in both nuts and oil were quantified.
• The effectiveness of Fuller's earth, bentonite, and diatomaceous earth in removing aflatoxins from oil was evaluated.

Main Results:

• Aflatoxins were detected in 17 out of 19 processed almond oil samples.
• Aflatoxin levels in oil correlated with levels in the source almonds.
• Fuller's earth and bentonite removed 96% and 86% of aflatoxins, respectively, while diatomaceous earth showed no effect.

Conclusions:

• Aflatoxin contamination is a significant concern in almond oil derived from reject nuts.
• Oil refining processes employing specific mineral clay adsorbents can effectively reduce aflatoxin levels.
• This study highlights a potential dual function for mineral clay adsorbents in oil refining: purification and mycotoxin removal.