Rapid HPTLC determination of patulin in fruit-based baby food in Turkey

Abstract

Mycotoxin contamination is an ongoing problem for all kinds of food commodity, and it is necessary to investigate the extent of this problem in baby food products. It is seen that factors such as developing technology, urbanization, and intense work tempo change dietary habits in every age group. The aim of this study was to provide a current overview on patulin (PAT) contamination of fruit-based baby food in Turkey. Safety levels of products were evaluated based on the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) value predefined by the regulatory agencies. A total of 58 baby foods from Turkey market were investigated in this study. A high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed by using acidic QUECHERS (quick-easy-cheap-effective-rugged-safe) extraction process. PAT was detected in 12 of 58 with a concentration between 0.13 and 2.98 mg/L; the mean value and the median value were found 1.71 mg/L and 1.92 mg/L, respectively. Based on PMTDI values recommended as 0.4 mu g/kg bm/day, it was found that 11 of the 12 PAT-containing products were above the legal limit. The presence of PAT-containing baby food above the permitted values will be the subject of acute or chronic intoxications in the clinic, forensics in the consumer courts, and financial obligations of the questioned producers during the importation of the product at customs.