Co-Occurrence of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural and Patulin in Reconstituted Pomegranate Juice: Analytical Determination and...

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and the mycotoxin patulin (PAT) serve as crucial chemical markers for evaluating the quality and safety of fruit-derived beverages, particularly pomegranate juice. This study aimed to quantify the occurrence of 5-HMF and PAT in commercial reconstituted pomegranate juices and assess the associated dietary exposure risks. A total of 154 commercial samples, collected from a Turkish processing facility during the 2024-2025 production seasons, were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. 5-HMF was detected in 152 samples (98.7%) at concentrations ranging from 1.03 to 10.79 mg/kg, with only two samples (1.3%) exceeding the critical threshold of 10 mg/kg. PAT was found in 57 samples (37.0%), with concentrations between 3.61 and 50.69 µg/kg, and only one sample (0.6%) exceeded the European Union maximum level established for fruit juices. Estimated mean daily intakes for adults and children ranged from 0.374 to 2.362 and 1.139 to 8.546 µg/kg bw/day for 5-HMF, and from 0.001 to 0.006 and 0.002 to 0.021 µg/kg bw/day for PAT, respectively. Risk characterisation based on hazard quotient values indicated that PAT exposure did not pose a significant health risk for either population group, highlighting the overall safety of the analysed products.