Abstract
Background: RASFF notifications serve to determine the hazards responsible for food
and feed. In case of determining risks to human health, the information provided to member countries
via the rapid alarm system at the same time warned us to take the necessary measures.
Objectives: In this research, the RASFF portal alerts over the last three years related to aflatoxins
in hazelnut, fig, and peanut products were examined. The impact of image processing technologies
on lowering the danger of aflatoxins in shelled hazelnuts and dried figs was also investigated,
as well as Critical Control Points (CCPs) on aflatoxin hazard.
Methods: The RASFF database was used in the RASFF Window portal and analyzed for aflatoxin
alerts. ISO 22000:2018 was used for hazard and risk analysis for raw hazelnut, peanut, and fig
products. Aflatoxin analyses were performed according to the AOAC 2000/991.31 method. Prior
to and after hazelnut sorting methods, levels of aflatoxin were measured. Besides, aflatoxin contamination
in peanuts harvesting in 2023 years from three local producers in Turkey was studied.
Results: The number of RASFF notifications for hazelnuts, peanuts/groundnuts, dried figs, and
their products for the period of 03/01/2020 to 01/06/2023 were 84, 283 and 173, respectively. As a
result of HACCP implementation, especially for aflatoxin hazard management, optical-laser-manual
sorting and aflatoxin detection using UV light stages are accepted as CCPs. When nuts were
sorted using optical and laser systems were detected decreasing total aflatoxin levels. The mean
value of Aflatoxin B1(AFB1) and total aflatoxins were reduced from 7.80±1.08 and 13.56±1.06 to
3.63±0.39 and 7.21±0.71, respectively. 79.16% of all sorted samples were found to comply with
legal limits. Investigated peanut samples for aflatoxin B1 contents were found between 5.63 and
27.75 μg kg-1 in 19.5%.
Conclusion: The alerts based on aflatoxin contamination above legal limits have been carried on
for nuts and dried figs. The physical sorting methods using optical selection and high-resolution
laser sensor systems aflatoxin-contaminated nuts from healthy nuts applied for in-shell Turkish
nut sorting were able to assess the quality of the batch studied, and the systems were assigned significantly
effective to reduce aflatoxin contents. Food business operators in Turkey, which is
among the countries exporting agricultural and food products to the European Union (EU), have
tended to prefer the most advanced technologies. Efficacies of reduction of aflatoxin by different
physical and other (such as imaging, X-ray and acoustic, audio signals and hyperspectral images
of moldy natural nuts etc.) methods will be developed in the near future.
Keywords:
Hazelnuts, dried figs, peanuts, aflatoxins, sorting methods, HACCP.
Graphical Abstract
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