Effect of ozone treatment on detoxificaton of aflatoxin and physicochemical properties of contaminated hazelnuts

In this study, detoxification of aflatoxin contaminated hazelnuts with ozone application and appropriate ozone dose and application time for maintain the physicochemical quality parameters of hazelnuts were investigated. For this purpose, the samples of raw hazelnuts obtained from the market after being artifically contaminated with a mixture of aflatoxin (B1 + B2 + G1 + G2) subject to ozone application at different doses (200 and 600 mg/h) and times (30, 60, 120 min), and detoxification rate in raw hazelnut samples was determined. At the same time, the effect of ozone application on some physicochemical properties of hazelnut was investigated. Findings of the present show that ozone can effectively degrade aflatoxin in the nut and that the degredation ratio increases with increasing processing time. It was determined that aflatoxins in the hazelnut were completely decomposed by 120 minutes application at both ozone concentrations. Aflatoxin B1 and G1 showed higher of decomposition rates. It was determined that there was no significant difference (p> 0.05) in fat, free fatty acid content, aw, fatty acid composition and color values of hazelnuts between treated and untreated samples and also, total phenolic and antioxidant capacity did not change significantly in low time applications. It was concluded (p<0,05) that hazelnut oils were not oxidized due to ozonation and the oil quality was not significantly affected. With the application of 200 mg/h, 120 min and 600 mg/h, 60 min ozone gas, the amount of toxin can be lowered below the limit values and the quality and nutritional properties of hazelnut can be preserved. Thus, promising results have been obtained for the hazelnuts that have to be destroyed due to toxin contamination. As a result; with the application of ozone gas to hazelnuts, aflatoxin decomposition can be achieved significantly while the desired quality characteristics of hazelnuts can be maintained.