Collaborative Study Comparing Two Methods for the Determination of Aflatoxins in Pistachio Nuts

Abstract

Two official first action methods for the determination of aflatoxins in peanuts and peanut products, method I (26.015-26.020) and method III (26.026-26.030), were modified slightly for the analysis of pistachio nuts. Thirteen collaborators analyzed naturally contaminated in-shell pistachio nuts, aflatoxin-free pistachio nuts, and pistachio nut composites spiked with known amounts of aflatoxins. The extraction and cleanup in method III are relatively simple and require no chromatography, whereas the lengthier method I employs column chromatography, producing a cleaner thin layer chromatographic extract. On the basis of the collaborative results obtained, both methods have been adopted as official first action for the determination of aflatoxins in in-shell pistachio nuts.