Determination of aflatoxin levels and micrufungal flora in unpacked red pepper samples in istanbul province

Foodborne illnesses are among the major public health problems that are increasing continuously. Today, foodborne illnesses can be seen in developed countries, as well as in developing countries. Mycotoxins are causing long-term fatal diseases due to food poisoning from food and toxic effects. In addition, storage and drying conditions are extremely important in terms of their formation and development. Storage is the most critical stage for the formation of mycotoxins and the appropriate relative humidity and temperature conditions must be maintained during storage to ensure that the product is not contaminated during storing. Properly packaged products should be stored in a dry and cool place. It is necessary to determine the total mycotoxin values of the spices sold in the open and to evaluate them in terms of food safety. It is possible to find a solution for the contamination problem by arranging production, packaging, storage, processes in the enterprises. In our country, the maximum limits for mycotoxins have been determined in part 2 of the Turkish Food Codex, Spice Communiqué no 2013/12. In our study, 125 red pepper samples were collected periodically in July, August, September, October, November 2018 from same stores in at least 100 g bags and quantitatively examined by Enzym Linked Immuno Assay (ELISA) method in terms of aflatoxins. As a result, all of the red pepper samples examined in this study were found to contain aflatoxins. As a result, all of the red pepper samples examined in this study were found to contain aflatoxins. Of the total number of samples, 56.8% (Summer season: 50%, Autumn season: 61,3%) were above the limits stated in Turkish Food Codex (>10 ppb). As in many of the studies conducted in this topic, the number of aflatoxin averages exceeding the legal limits (average 16,7 ppb in summer and 23 ppb in autumn) in our study, supports the need to take precautions in the stages of sanitation, drying and storage in terms of mycotoxin development in spices.