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MAFF UK - SURVEY OF FRUIT JUICES AND TOMATO PRODUCTS FOR PATULIN

Index to MAFF UK Food Surveillance Information Sheets, 1995

Summary

A survey for patulin contamination of retail fruit juices and tomato products has been completed. Patulin contamination was not detected in any of the 128 fruit juice samples or any of the 26 tomato product samples.

Background

Surveillance of patulin in apple juice has been carried out previously. In 1992, following the detection of higher concentrations in some samples than found in previous surveillance exercises, the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) recommended that patulin concentrations in food should be reduced to the lowest technologically achievable. The Food Advisory Committee (FAC) subsequently set an advisory level of 50 µg/1¹. Further surveillance was carried out in 1993 to monitor the effectiveness of industry's actions to reduce patulin contamination of apple juice. Canned fruit in apple juice was also surveyed². In addition, surveillance was carried out to assess the extent of patulin contamination of other products containing significant amounts of apples³. Most recently in 1994, a follow-up survey of patulin in apple juice was carried out to monitor the continuing effectiveness of industry's action to control patulin contamination⁴. The current survey covers other fruit juices and tomato products.

The Survey

128 samples of fruit juices and 26 samples of tomato products (pastes and purées) were analysed from a range of different retail outlets. As far as possible the samples were obtained in duplicate, the second sample being intended for reference or as a back up. The types of samples analysed were as follows:

Fruit juice	Total No. Samples
Orange	27
Grapefruit	19
Pineapple	21
Apple	17
Pear	16
Red Grape	12
White Grape	8
Other juices	8
TOTAL	128

Tomato product	Total No. Samples
Creamed	1
Passata	3
Paste	5
Purées	15
Sieved	2
TOTAL	26

Method of Analysis

The analytical method employed extraction with chloroform : methanol (97 : 3), followed by clean up with a silica solid phase extraction cartridge. Analysis was performed by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with UV detection at 276 nm⁵. Recovery values were in the range 51 - 91 per cent for juices and 37 - 61 per cent for tomato products. The limit of determination for patulin was 5 µg/1 for juices and 10 µg/kg for tomato products. When corrected for recovery, these limits of determination were 10 µg/1 and 20 µg/kg respectively. The limits of determination were based on the conservative assumption of a worst case recovery value.

Results

None of the samples contained patulin at or above the limit of determination.

Interpretation

It is reassuring that patulin was not detected in any of the samples of the present survey even though the contamination of fruit juices and tomato products has been previously suggested. When compared with the FAC's advisory level of 50 µg/l for apple juice, it is clear that neither the fruit juice samples nor the tomato product samples provide any cause for concern. The results of this survey support MAFF's current surveillance strategy on patulin which is to target those brands of apple juice produced directly from the pressed fruit, where there is evidence of a contamination problem, rather than those products made from concentrated apple juice. A survey of these apple juices is currently underway and will be reported later this year.

References

For further information please contact:-

Mrs Chelvi Leonard
MAFF, Food Safety and Science Group
Food Contaminants Division
Room 210 Ergon House
c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Tel:- (+44) (0)171 238 5734

Fax:- (+44) (0)171 238 6591

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These pages were last updated on 1 October 1996