Evaluation of Aflatoxins Levels in Nuts in Selected Military-owned Chain Stores in Tehran, Iran

Aflatoxins are classified as definitive or possible human carcinogens. Nuts and nutty products are among the most frequent aflatoxin-contaminated foodstuffs. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2, total) in different nuts, including pistachio, almond, cashew, hazelnut obtained from selected supermarket chains in Tehran city.

A total of 20 nut samples were collected from eight randomly selected chain stores, and the levels of aflatoxins in the samples were evaluated using an immunoaffinity column and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography technique (HPLC).

Among 20 tested nuts, only one sample (roasted hazelnut) was contaminated with the aflatoxins (AG1) at a level of 0.34 µg/kg, while the tested mycotoxins were not detected in the other samples.

Our findings indicated that different parameters such as climatic conditions, implementing strict regulations, improvement in harvest and post-harvest practices alongside rigorous surveillance by the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (AJA University of Medical Sciences) on the quality of food materials may explain the low incidence of aflatoxins in this study.