DETERMINATION OF PATULIN IN APPLE JUICE BY LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY - COLLABORATIVE STUDY

An AOAC International-International Union of Pure acid Applied Chemist ry-International Fruit Juice Union (AOAC-IUPAG-IFJU) collaborative stu dy was conducted to evaluate a liquid chromatographic (LC) procedure f or determination of patulin in apple juice, Patulin is a mold metaboli te found naturally in rotting apples. Patulin is extracted with ethyl acetate, treated with sodium carbonate solution, and determined by rev ersed-phase LC with UV detection al 254 or 276 nm, Water, water-tetrah ydrofuran, or water-acetonitrile was used as mobile phase, Levels dete rmined in spiked test samples were 20, 50, 100, and 200 mu g/L. A test sample naturally contaminated at 31 mu g/L was also included. Twenty- two collaborators in 10 countries analyzed 12 test samples of apple ju ice. Recoveries averaged 96%, with a range of 91-108%. Repeatability r elative standard deviations (RSD(r)) ranged from 10.9 to 53.8%. The re producibility relative standard deviation (RSD(R)) ranged from 15.1 to 68.8%. The LC method for determination of patulin in apple juice has been adopted first action by AOAC INTERNATIONAL.