The analysis of saturated and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons in dry foods and from recycled paperboard packages by online HPLC-GC-FID.

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of mineral oil hydrocarbons in dry foodstuffs packed in recycled paperboard, which were imported from different foreign countries to Germany. After collection, mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) in dry foodstuffs and recycled paperboard were analysed using online coupled high-performance liquid chromatography-gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (online HPLC-GC-FID) far before the end of the shelf life of the samples. Our results showed that recycled paperboard has MOAH content higher than that of dry foodstuffs. The proportion of MOAH within total mineral oil hydrocarbons was determined to be 7-45% in dry foodstuffs and 4-48% in paperboard. In addition, 29% of the products were found to contain over 1.00 mg/kg MOAH, with a maximum of 2.72 mg/kg in oatmeal. White colour recycled paperboard contained lower amounts of MOSH and MOAH than that of brown and grey colour recycled paperboard. The MOSH concentration in dry foodstuffs ranged from 0.11 to 21.92 mg/kg (˂C25 hydrocarbons), which may be an indication of rapid migration. The lowest determined MOSH concentrations (˂C25 hydrocarbons) were found in sea salt and soda samples, even when their paperboard contained high mineral oil hydrocarbons. Our three samples in packages containing internal bags (for complete barriers) were found to have low mineral oil concentration due to reduced migration through plastic (acrylate-coated polypropylene). However, one sample, a 'crispy' product with an internal bag, contained the extreme amount of 21.92 mg/kg. Differences in contaminants observed in both dry foodstuffs and recycled paperboard may have been due to the different packaging and production techniques of the different countries. In addition, 8 of 24 dry foodstuff samples contained MOSH concentrations frequently exceeding the 2.0 mg/kg limit for MOSH C20-C35.

Prevention of pre-harvest aflatoxin production and the effect of different harvest times on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) fatty acids.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between aflatoxin and fatty acids and to determine the optimum harvest time to avoid pre-harvest aflatoxin formation. It was established that harvest time had statistically significant effects on the levels of saturated fatty acids: myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), stearic acid (C18:0), arachidic acid (C20:0), behenic acid (C22:0), lignoceric acid (C24:0), monounsaturated fatty acids; palmitoleic acid (C16:1), heptadecenoic acid (C17:1), oleic acid (C18:1) and gadoleic acid (C20:1); and on polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3). By delaying the harvest time, the ratio of saturated fatty acids decreased and unsaturated fatty acids increased. It was shown that the longer harvesting was delayed, the greater the quantity of oleic acid that was produced. Before harvest time, if the soil moisture was 5% or higher, aflatoxin was produced by fungi. It was found that the weather conditions of the region were suitable for aflatoxin production. Soil moisture appears to be more important than soil temperature for aflatoxin formation. The production of aflatoxin was not observed in the first and second harvests, both of which are at early harvest times. It was found that aflatoxin B1 during harvest time was the most significant of the four toxins. The third harvest time, which is the most widely used, was observed to have significant problems due to aflatoxin formation. Therefore, it is suggested as a result of this study that the harvest of peanuts must be done considering seed yield before the middle of September to avoid aflatoxin formation at harvest time.